Back to You
by NJ Coffee Queen
Summary: Five years after the birth of their daughter, Draco returns to the family he left behind.
1. Chapter 1

As usual, I own nothing! Enjoy!

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Chapter 1

"Mummy, what's my dad like?"

Hermione Granger stood in the dark doorway to her daughter's room. Back to the little girl, she couldn't see her mother's panic. In her five short years, she had never asked about her father, and Hermione had hoped she could avoid the subject a little while longer.

Taking a deep breath, she turned and attempted to smile. "He was a good man," she said. "Now sleep, my baby."

The little girl rolled over and Hermione left her room for the kitchen. Dishes sat in the sink from dinner, but she was too tired to deal with them. Opening the cabinet above the stove, she removed the wand she had stashed there years earlier. Her daughter knew little of magic, and Hermione intended to keep it that way just a little longer.

When the dishes were done and the kitchen cleaned, she retired to the living room. Hidden behind a row of books was a small photo album she kept from her school years. Though her daughter knew Harry and Ginny Potter and their two young children, Hermione had not much contact with most of the Weasley family since she finished her final year at Hogwarts. Flipping to the last page, she removed a picture of her fellow "eighth" year student and the father of her only child.

"Oh, Draco, where have you gone?" she wondered, placing the album back on the shelf.

Early the next morning, Athena Granger tiptoed downstairs to find her mother asleep on the sofa. Kneeling down beside her, she gently touched Hermione's cheek to wake her. Hermione stirred, but her eyes remained closed as she deftly maneuvered Athena to her side. "Hungry, Mama," Athena said, tucking her head beneath her mother's chin.

"Sleepy, Daughter," she murmured. "I have something for you before breakfast." Athena sat up anxiously, begging her for her present. Sighing, Hermione reclined against the arm of the sofa and handed her the photo she'd held clutched in her hand all night. "That's your daddy. I thought you might like to have that."

Athena studied the picture and frowned. "I don't look like him," she said sadly, toying with a brown curl that, like her mother's, was uncontrollable.

"You have his eyes," Hermione pointed out. "And his wit. He was quite witty. He could always make me laugh."

Nodding, Athena held the photograph close and stood, ready for breakfast. "Did Uncle Happy know him?" she asked, sitting down at the kitchen table.

Hermione padded around the kitchen, pulling out plates, bowls, the griddle, and ingredients for pancakes. "He did," she replied. "They, um, weren't friends."

The little girl sat quietly until Hermione placed breakfast down in front of her. They ate silently for a few minutes until Athena put down her fork and pushed away the plate. "Mummy, does he know me?" she wondered.

With a crook of her finger, Hermione beckoned her daughter to her. "He does," she promised, settling Athena on her lap. "And, oh did he love you! You, my dear, are impossible not to love."

"Then where is he?"

Hermione had often wondered the same thing, and found herself unable to answer her daughter's question. Thankfully, the front door opened just then and Harry made his presence known. "My girls!" he greeted them, entering the kitchen. "I brought donuts. Chocolate for Miss Teeny."

Athena merely smiled and thanked him for the treat, then asked to be excused. Harry sat down and looked at his best friend pointedly. "She's asking about Draco," Hermione told him. "And I...Harry, I lied to her. I've never lied to her."

"She's five. What are you going to tell her?" Harry wondered. "Daddy was a Death Eater and went on the lamb when school finished after finding out Mummy was pregnant? I know she's a smart kid, but do you really think she'll understand?"

Hermione sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Being a Death Eater had nothing to do with him leaving," she replied. "At least I don't think that was the reason. We were so young."

"That's no excuse for skipping out on your child," Harry retorted. "And you know it."

She assured him she wasn't defending Draco's actions. "It's complicated, Harry," she finally said. "We were complicated. We weren't like you and Ginny. This wasn't some 'til death do us part kind of relationship. It was a fling. At the time it seemed better to go our separate ways than to force ourselves to be a family for Athena's sake."

"So, what now?" he wondered. "What's the plan now that she's asking about him? No one's seen Malfoy in years. No one knows where he's gone. He completely cut ties with his family, so asking Narcissa is out of the question. Do you reckon she even knows she's a grandmother?"

Hermione was positive Draco had kept Athena a secret from his parents. "It doesn't matter," she decided. "He wouldn't have wanted them involved anyhow. Frankly, I don't either. Blood purists and muggleborns don't really mix. I'm sure they won't approve of their son having a halfblood daughter."

"Does Malfoy?" Harry asked bitterly. He long considered Draco Malfoy a coward for leaving Hermione alone to raise their child. Though he'd sent money monthly, it wasn't enough in his eyes. There was more to parenting than financial aid. Hermione scowled, but said nothing. "Maybe...maybe we could track him down. The child support is coming from somewhere. If you want me to find him, I'll do what I can. It's up to you."

Opening the box, she pulled out a jelly donut and took a bite. "I don't know," she murmured. Harry sat patiently as she finished the treat. "I want this to be his idea. I want him to want to be here. We've managed just fine for five years without him."

When she had learned of her pregnancy, she had assured Draco that she expected nothing of him. It had been his choice to send money, and her choice to accept the little help he offered. He wasn't ready to be a father at nineteen, and she had let him walk away shortly after Athena's birth. A part of her had hoped that seeing his daughter might convince him to stay, but he was gone the next morning.

"Maybe it's a bad idea," Harry commented, playing with the lid of the donut box. "You and Athena both deserve better. You're both better off without him."

"Maybe," she agreed halfheartedly, hoping he was right.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! The first chapter got such a great response! Thank you, and I'll be over here hiding as the crushing pressure to make this story good overwhelms me.

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Chapter 2

Draco Malfoy sat in a crowded outdoor cafe in the middle of Manhattan, watching cars and people zip by without a care in the world that he stared at them. It was the first of the month, and he had just sent off his monthly support payment to Hermione. It saddened him that this was the extent of his relationship with her and their daughter, but it had been his choice. He hadn't felt that he was good enough for Hermione, and he certainly wasn't good enough to be anyone's father. After all, he had been raised by Lucius Malfoy. His father's mistakes were mistakes he feared repeating.

He thought of Athena, who had been only hours old the first and last time he had seen her. He imagined she resembled her mother - dark curls, bright smile, inquisitive glances - and wondered what she had inherited from him. At the table next to his sat a father and daughter, and he realized he envied this man. The little girl, he thought, was Athena's age. She giggled as she and her father drew and colored and he cracked jokes.

Perhaps Athena had that too. Hermione could have married, given Athena a proper father. Ron Weasley, he thought with a bit of disgust. He wasn't good enough for Hermione. She'd often shared how miserable he made her. They were constantly at odds with one another. Hermione was museums, theater, and bookshops, while Ron preferred Quidditch and his mother's kitchen. Draco often wondered if that was the reason they had gotten close during their last year of school. They had common interests, enjoyed debating topics they cared about, and genuinely grew to respect one another.

He missed their nights together. Though they belonged to different houses, they somehow managed to share a bed each night. Five years of sleeping alone, he still missed her slumbering by his side. Many times he thought about returning to England. His ties to the States were nonexistent. He'd gone to escape the stigma that came with being a Death Eater. He had wanted to make something of himself, to prove to Hermione that he could one day be worthy of her and Athena.

Placing a five dollar bill on the table, he realized money wasn't enough. Money didn't make him a good man. Money didn't make up for the fact that he had walked away from his child five years earlier. The problem was that he had no idea what it took to be a good man.

He left the cafe for New York's wizarding world, located in Times Square. The bustling tourist area provided the right amount of cover for disappearing witches and wizards as they crossed from one side to the other. Once more, he was surrounded by his own kind. Some knew him, but most ignored him. It allowed him to slip anonymously into the owl post and send off a letter to Harry Potter.

Now he just had to wait.

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"No."

Draco had only just opened his apartment door to find Harry Potter on the other side when he heard the word. "What?" he asked.

The Head Auror pushed his way past the blond. "No," he repeated himself. "You're to stay away from Hermione and Athena. Leave them alone."

Shutting the door, Draco sat on the sofa. "I sent you that letter three weeks ago," he stated.

"And it took my wife this long to convince me not to track you down and kill you," Harry retorted through clenched teeth. "You want to come back now, Malfoy? You want to come back five years after your kid was born? You want to play daddy now? You don't get to waltz back into the life they've built, the life Hermione's built. Without you."

Face in his hands, Draco sighed heavily. "I know," he whispered. Taking a deep breath, he summoned some of Potter's anger. "Don't you think I know that? The last five years, they're all I've thought about. I'm not proud of what I did, and I've lived with that guilt every damn day. I'm not asking for pity. I just want to see Hermione. Just...just tell me if they're in the same house. I'll write to her myself."

Scoffing, Harry made his way to the door. "You've had five years to try that," he said. "Five years to convince Hermione that you can do the job you should have been doing since she told you she was pregnant. Why should you be allowed to pick up with them after all this time?"

"Because," Draco said, "for the first time in my life I want to do the right thing."

Harry eyed him cautiously, reading the pain, guilt, and pleading in the gray eyes that he'd often seen in his niece. "I'll talk to her," he said. "I make no promises that she'll respond favorably, but I'll talk to her."

Draco exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "Potter, I...thank you," he replied.

With a curt nod, Harry was gone.

Once again alone, Draco sat down at his desk to pen a letter to Hermione. He knew the address by heart. He would send the letter, hoping beyond hope that she would receive it. It wasn't a given that he could trust Potter. He was Hermione's best friend, after all. They protected one another. He felt the need to protect her from Draco. He couldn't blame him. Draco wasn't trustworthy. He'd hurt Hermione many times before. Perhaps her heart did need guarding.

Draco didn't care though. They were the only family he had left. Hermione and Athena were his only chance to have a family. He needed to be with them, if they would have him. The desire to be a father - a good father - was strong, and he needed to prove to himself that he could be one.

Unfortunately, he worried that he wouldn't get a chance.

It scared him the first time he held Athena. She was so small, so fragile, so delicate. He worried that he would hurt her in those few short minutes. Hermione had assured him that he wouldn't, but it was an unshakable feeling. The fear grew. His father had filled his head with hatred and bigotry. He was not supposed to love the muggleborn woman lying in the hospital bed. He was not supposed to love the halfblood newborn in his arms.

But he did.

And that scared him.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm too cold and tired to think of anything witty to say today. So, I'll go with Happy Friday!

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Chapter 3

"You went where?" Hermione demanded. "And did what?"

Harry groaned, only just realizing that he should not have involved himself in the Malfoy situation. "Honestly, he seemed contrite," he insisted. "I'm not saying invite him back to play family, but I think he wants to make amends with you. It was wrong of him to leave you alone to raise a baby by yourself, there's no denying that. It's like you've said many, many times - you were both young. You've both grown up a lot too. Maybe just talk to him. What harm could it do?"

"Well, he could end up in the hospital," she muttered. Harry glanced at her pointedly. It had always been Hermione on defense, and the sudden change was alarming. "I know I've talked about getting in touch with him before, but it was always a 'what if' scenario. You talking to him makes it real. Nice as it is that he wants to be somehow involved now, it doesn't make up for the fact that he left. I don't know how to reconcile that."

"Consider what's best for Teeny," he advised. "If you think allowing Malfoy into your life is bad for her, don't do it. But you know him better than I do. You got to know a different side of him. You wouldn't have...done things if you didn't see something good in him. Meet with him on your own. We'll take Athena."

Hermione sighed, knowing there was little chance she'd get out of talking to Draco. "Fine," she relented. "Just...don't take her to the Burrow. Every time she's there Molly tries to teach her to call Ron dada."

"I remember that! She was two," Harry told her with a laugh. "As I recall, your daughter informed her that Ron was not her father. Just like that. None of that dada nonsense. She's lived with you too long."

Hermione smiled proudly. Despite Ron's offers to step into a fatherly role, she refused it. He'd made it known on more than a few occasions that he didn't approve of her relationship with Draco Malfoy. He'd refused to speak to her during the pregnancy. It wasn't until Athena was born and Draco was gone that Ron came around again. She'd spent a long time being angry at him, and some of that had yet to fade. No one would fill that role in Athena's life but her real father.

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Draco nervously paced outside the Leaky Cauldron. They had agreed to meet on the muggle side, though Hermione had questioned it. She owed him no favors, but he had asked for just this one. His heart hammered in his chest when he finally saw her. Her name slipped past his lips breathlessly. "You haven't changed," he remarked.

Scowl in place, arms crossed over her chest, Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "You look older," she retorted. "Are we done with the pleasantries?"

Chagrined, he nodded and they walked in silence. They entered a small coffee shop and sat down. Hermione refused to speak first, and it unnerved him. "So, um, how are you?" he asked, needing to get the ball rolling. She muttered that she was fine. "Um, and Athena? How's she?"

"She's been asking about you," Hermione informed him. She was sure she noticed him smile for a split second before schooling his features once again. "She has your eyes. She's just...perfect. Our daughter is perfect."

Draco could feel brown eyes on him as he looked down. The pit in his stomach widened as she talked about Athena, going so far as to refer to her as theirs. "I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said. "God, Hermione, I'm so sorry."

The protective wall she had built around herself began to crumble slowly, piece by piece. "I gave you a choice," she replied. "I understood the one you made. Back then, every time the doorbell would ring or a letter would come from an unknown address, I hoped it was you. When she crawled and walked and spoke and got sick and woke me up at three in the morning, I wished you'd been there. But I always understood why you couldn't be there."

Draco sniffled. "I know you're trying to make me feel better, but it's not working," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "Could you go back to hating me?"

"Give it time," she quipped. "Honestly, I didn't plan on coming today. Athena started asking about you and it made me mad, as if I wasn't enough for her. I gave her a picture of you. She takes it everywhere now. That made me mad too. Then I felt bad. She just learned she has a father, and I didn't want to ruin that excitement."

"I'm a shiny new toy," he excused. "Or at least I'm the idea of one. Give me five minutes with her, and she'll hate me. I'm sure Potter and the Weasleys will be more than happy to help."

Once again, the scowl returned. "Don't do that," she said. "The Potters and Weasleys are the only family we have. Molly and Arthur are the only grandparents she knows. Don't you dare put them down to make yourself feel better, Malfoy."

"I wasn't," he insisted, eyes wide and shocked. "All I meant was that I wouldn't blame them if they did. Believe me - I haven't felt good about myself in a long time. Being with you - that was the only time I thought I might be doing something right. So, naturally, I fucked it up. It's what I do."

"Do you regret it?" she wondered. "Coming back? Coming to see me? Do you regret it?"

Brows furrowed, he shook his head. "I don't," he replied. "I want to do more. I need to do more, Hermione. Providing a stipend every month isn't good enough."

Sitting back, her arms were once again crossed over her chest. "Why the change of heart?" she asked. "What spurred this desire to be a father?"

"I live in New York," he told her. "It's crazy and crowded and everywhere you look there's kids. I see them with their parents everyday, and they're happy. It occurred to me one day that I was never happy when I was with my parents. Seeing those kids with their parents though, I always thought about Athena in those moments. I would wonder if she was smart like you, or if she had your laugh. At nineteen I wasn't ready to accept responsibility for the two of you, and even though the thought of it still scares me at twenty-four, I want to try. If you'll let me, that is."

Taking a deep breath, Hermione looked away. "I need time to think about this."


	4. Chapter 4

Tis the season of cute boots and pumpkin spice everything! My dad and I got into a tiff the other day about whether 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) is hot or cold. Feel free to weigh in!

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Chapter 4

"You're not considering this," Ron said as he dropped off Athena. "I mean, it's Malfoy. He's not her father, he was a sperm donor. He doesn't belong in her life, or yours."

Hermione sighed, shut the door, and rubbed the spot between her eyes where headaches always formed. She heard the same thing every time Draco came up, and she found it annoying. "Yes, Ron, I am," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "Yes, I'm considering allowing Draco to meet Athena because I'm the mother and I get to do that. If you don't like it, that's too damn bad. It's up to me to decide what's best for my daughter. No, I haven't decided if it's the best thing for Draco to see her, but I am considering it."

Ron smirked as she finished her diatribe. "You're really pretty when you get angry at me," he remarked, eliciting a huff from the witch. "Look, I want what's best for Athena too. She should have a father, but Malfoy?"

"He's her father," Hermione exclaimed.

"And where was her father when she had a cold or took her first steps?" he demanded. "Where was he for birthdays and holidays? I've been more of a father to her than Malfoy has! George and Harry and Bill have been more of a father to her than Malfoy has. God dammit, Hermione. He doesn't deserve to be in her life."

"That's my call to make," she stated. "I'm sorry if you don't like it, but that's what it is, Ron."

Sighing, he relented for the moment. "She showed me the picture you gave her," he admitted. "Teeny has your smile, you know. Her whole face lit up when she talked about him. Harry told her stories about Quidditch games they played against each other."

A sad smile settled on Hermione's lips. "I guess there's not much else to tell her," she replied. "At least there's nothing good you can tell her."

Ron moved toward the front door, giving her arm a gentle squeeze as he did so. "You'll have to tell her those stories," he said, hoping to sound encouraging.

Athena chattered as she came down the stairs after Ron left, informing her mother of Draco's Quidditch career. Hermione grinned as her daughter spoke a mile a minute. "Could we talk?" she asking, cutting off the commentary. Attentively, Athena followed her to the kitchen where Hermione began to prepare dinner. "I saw your dad today."

Gray eyes lit with excitement. "Did you talk about me?" Athena asked.

"We did," Hermione confirmed. "In fact, we talked about you so much that I'm thinking of just giving you to him because I'm tired of talking about you."

"Mummy, be serious," the little girl said with a roll of her eyes.

Laughing, Hermione gave her daughter the details of her meeting with Draco. "So, I was thinking, if you're alright with it, I might invite him over to meet you," she concluded.

"Nana said he was bad," Athena told her. "I wanna meet him, but what if he really is a bad guy?"

Turning away from the chopped carrots, Hermione knelt in front of the worried little girl. "You trust me, right?" she asked, receiving a nod in reply. "Then believe me when I say that your daddy became a very good man. You wouldn't be here if I thought he were bad. He was very, very good to me when we were together, and even though he had to go away, he never stopped loving you."

"What if I don't like him?" she wondered.

"That's okay," Hermione assured her, tucking a curl behind her small ear. "It's okay if you don't like him. All I ask is that you decide that on your own. Don't let what Nana or Uncle Ron or anyone else says cloud your judgement. Promise me you'll try to do that?"

Taking a deep breath, Athena nodded. "When can I meet him?" she asked.

Hermione returned to dinner preparations, letting her know she would contact Draco immediately.

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Draco stood nervously on the porch, hands crammed in his pockets and a trickle of sweat slowly slipping down his neck. His heart hammered when the door opened and a little girl with brown curls and gray eyes invited him inside. "You're tall," she said, directing him to sit on the sofa. "I'm not tall, but maybe some day I will be. Mummy doesn't think she's tall though, so I'm not sure. What do you think?"

He stared wide eyed at the child who was his. "I...I don't know," he stammered. "Um, is your...your mum around?"

Nodding, Athena ran off, returning minutes later with Hermione in tow. She dragged her mother to the couch, made her sit, then positioned herself between her parents. "I've heard a lot about you," she said seriously. "Uncle Ron doesn't like you."

Hermione hissed her daughter's name before offering Draco an apology. "No, no. It's fine," he mumbled. "Um, yeah, a lot of people didn't like me when we were young. It was mostly my fault. Your mum gave me a chance even though I teased her all the time."

Athena's posture changed. She moved closer to her mother. "Why would you do that?" she wondered, anxious to protect Hermione. Behind her, Hermione attempted to hold back her laughter.

"Because it's what boys do sometimes when they like a girl," he told her, laughing at the look of disgust on Athena's face. "In ten, twenty years you'll feel differently, maybe forty years if your mother has any say in it."

The little girl relaxed slightly. "Do you love Mummy?" she asked.

His eyes briefly went to Hermione, hoping for help. Instead, she looked at him with the same curious look that Athena did. "I did," he told them, causing Hermione to smile.

But Athena was too quick. "Did or do?" she clarified.

Hermione cleared her throat. "You know, I think I could use some ice cream," she said, getting to her feet. "Draco, still prefer vanilla with sprinkles to...anything that actually has flavor?"

He mouthed his gratitude and smiled. "There's nothing wrong with vanilla," he informed her. "And it does have flavor, you chocolate snob."

Laughing, she turned to Athena and instructed her to get ready to go out. "I'm sorry about that," she said when the little girl was out of earshot. "She's um, well, me. Told you she's perfect."

"She is," he agreed. "Merlin, I thought she was going to take a swing at me. Think she might like me?"

Hermione nodded as Athena rejoined them in the living room. She held out her small hand to him. "Just so you know, vanilla's the worst," she told him. "Mummy, I'm ready to go."


	5. Chapter 5

Does anyone know where I can buy narrow calf boots? Amazon was not helpful. Let's keep in mind that I'm poor (fine, cheap!) and don't want to spend too much.

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Chapter 5

While Hermione put Athena to bed, Draco waited in the living room. He surveyed the framed pictures that decorated the room - birthday parties, Christmas mornings, days at the beach. He had missed them. Athena smiled as she unwrapped presents, threw sand at the camera, had frosting smeared on her cheeks by her mother. She got her revenge on what looked to him like her most recent birthday. It was Hermione who wore pink frosting while Athena smiled proudly.

"She's a goof," Hermione murmured, joining him. "Last year she decided she hates pink. So, naturally, Molly used pink frosting at my behest. In my defense, she told me I'm getting old because I now had a five year old. We both had it coming."

Draco chuckled as she recalled the day. "You seem different," he noted. "Not a bad different. Not that...not that you weren't good back then. I just...I mean, you seem really happy. A bit more laidback too. It's nice to see."

Hermione shrugged and looked away to hide a blush. "She changed me," she shared. "Athena somehow figured out how to make me stop stressing everything. I thought it would be the opposite, that every fall and bump and bruise would be the end of the world. She just laughs it off, which makes me worry less. Not that...not that I don't worry. I've just learned not to sweat the small stuff."

"So," he asked, looking at a photo of their daughter dressed as a tulip, "am I welcome back again?"

Sighing, she moved away from him and sat down. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "I want to be able to leave the door to her open to you. You have to want to use it though."

He thought back on their day together. The interrogation ended at the ice cream shop. There, Athena told everyone (even though no one asked) that Draco was her daddy. She sat beside him, made fun of his order, and held his hand as they left. It scared him how quickly she became attached to him, and he decided then that he wouldn't let her down.

"I'm here, Hermione," he said, sitting down beside her. "I want to be Athena's father. I want to see her school plays and celebrate her birthday and Christmas with her. I want to sit up with her at night when she doesn't feel well or has a bad dream. I-"

"Stop," she whispered, cutting him off. "Just stop. I won't listen to empty promises. As nice as it is that you want to be here, you have to be here, Draco. You can't pick and choose when to parent. This is a full time job, and you have to be committed to it. It's easy to say it now that you want to be involved, but when it gets hard and you want to run, you can't."

His head fell into his hands. "I don't want to run," he replied. "I'm tired of running. All I've thought about these past few years is what I ran from. I'm not doing that anymore, Hermione. My parents have a small cottage in Surrey, and I've moved in there to be closer to the two of you. Just...let me be here."

She nodded reluctantly, silently granting him the access he desperately sought. "Why didn't you come home sooner?" she wondered.

Slowly, his fingers inched towards hers until they touched. "Because I wasn't good enough," he told her. "I'm not sure if I'm good enough now, but I want to try."

She stood and left for the kitchen, returning with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "So, how do we do this?" she asked, handing him a half full glass. "I'm not ready for custody arrangements or overnighters at your house. The two of you don't know each other well enough for that, and I'm not comfortable with it just yet."

"More of this," he suggested. "I'm not looking to encroach on your territory, and I think easing into this is the best for all three of us. There's something I'm curious about though. Did you and Weasley ever-"

Hermione choked on her wine. "No, never," she said, coughing. "He proposed after you left. I had no desire to get married, and I certainly wasn't ready to replace you just yet. My love life was the last thing on my mind. It's still the last thing I care about. Did you ever move on?"

Draco snorted, setting his glass aside. "No," he told her. "I've had two dates in the last five years. It just wasn't important to me. _They_ weren't important to me."

"Have you spoken to your parents?" she asked. "Do they know about Athena?"

He shook his head. "I'm not embarrassed by us or disappointed in her blood status," he assured her. "I loved you too much to allow them to be a part of this. When you told me you were pregnant, I knew it would be better to keep them in the dark. My mother would have forced us to marry, or worse, put Athena up for adoption. All those pureblood rules and customs were never something I wanted to pass down to the next generation of Malfoys. Being with you made me realize that. I want my kids to be better than me."

"Trying to make me fall in love with you again?" she teased, desperately needing a bit of levity. "Honestly, I think I would have hunted you down and killed you if I had to deal with your mother. My daughter is not a tea parties and galas kind of girl, and I'd hate for your mother to force her into that. You and I didn't exactly get normal childhoods, and I want her to have one."

He reached for her hand once more. "You have given her that," he murmured. "I like to think I helped by staying away. Kept her from discovering I'm not a good person, though I guess there's still time. At least she wasn't stuck with parents who didn't like each other."

"You don't like me?" she asked.

He was quick to deny it. "I figured you hated me," he mumbled.

Setting aside her glass, Hermione sat up a bit straighter. "I did," she confessed. "I hated how easy it seemed for you to leave. And maybe it wasn't, but it felt that way to me. Those months after graduation, you hardly left my side. Then I woke up that morning in hospital, and you weren't there. I wanted you there with me, and I hated that you weren't. This isn't meant to make you feel bad. I just want us to be honest with one another so we can make this work."

"I want that too."


	6. Chapter 6

So, Chris Christie has declared a state of emergency, and yet I'm at work. Aren't you supposed to not leave the house during a state of emergency? It's very possible that's just wishful thinking. If you're in an area that the hurricane is supposed to hit, be safe!

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Chapter 6

Hermione watched from the kitchen window as Athena and twenty month old James Potter played in the backyard. While she washed the dishes from lunch, Harry sidled up beside her to dry. "She met Draco," she confessed. Harry's brows rose, but he was silent as he waited for her to continue. "She's obsessed now. Wants to know when we're getting married and giving her a little sister."

"And Malfoy? How does he feel about her?" Harry wondered.

She stared down at the suds. "He's...cautious," she replied. "Not that he doesn't care about her, I didn't mean it that way. This is just new to him, and I think he worries about screwing it up. He doesn't exactly have a wealth of positive role models to draw from."

"And why does he get to use that excuse?" he inquired, anger coloring his tone. "I was raised by the Dursleys, but I figured out how to be a father to my sons."

"You also had the Weasleys," Hermione reminded him. "You knew what a loving family looked like. Draco had parents who ignored him most of the time, and a father who casually used the Cruciatus on him when he spilled his sippy cup. He may have been spoiled and rich, but you got a family. That's far more important than owning the latest Firebolt."

Pursing his lips, he looked out at the backyard. "Where is he today?" he asked, eyes trained on his son.

"Visiting some old friends," she said. "We're trying to go slow with integrating him into our family. He comes to dinner twice a week and spends Saturdays with us. Teeny begs him to stay, then pouts when he says that he can't. He always tries to give in, which I think is sweet. He's got the patience of a saint when it comes to her, too. One more book is always three more, but he sits and listens to her read, and then she spends the next three days talking about it."

Harry nodded. "I'm curious as to how he's made his money these last few years," he commented. "Has he mentioned it at all?"

Rolling her eyes, Hermione shut off the water and drained the sink. "Gigolo," she replied. Her best friend's eyes widened. "I'm kidding. He made his money in the stock market. Some of it he sent to us, and some was used to go to school. He's got a business degree from NYU, you know."

Harry scoffed. "And you spent the first two years of Athena's life working part-time in a bookshop to keep a roof over her head and food on the table while raising her alone," he retorted.

"And yet we managed," she replied. "I know you don't like him and you don't approve of what's happened, but you can't change it, Harry. Maybe it's better that he's been gone all this time. Maybe we'd hate each other now if he had been around. All I know is that things worked out the way they worked out. A small, selfish part of me is glad he wasn't here. I got Athena all to myself for five years. I wouldn't change that for anything."

Sighing, he leaned against the counter. "I hate that you can be mature and rational about this," he said. "Righteous indignation would be more appropriate."

Hermione laughed as the kids entered the house, asking for a snack. "Imagine the gray hair I'd have if I did that," she joked, cutting up apples for Athena and James.

"Are you talking about Daddy?" Athena asked, glaring at her uncle. Nodding, Harry sat down across from the little girl and asked her thoughts on Draco. "He's nice. I think he loves Mummy even if he won't say it to her."

"Does it make you sad that he hasn't been around?" Harry wondered. Hermione chastised him, but he ignored her.

Athena stared at him and shook her head. "No, because he came back to us," she replied simply. "Daddy loves us, and he's not going to leave again. He promised me."

Before the interrogation could continue, Hermione sent the kids upstairs. "Stop it," she said when she and Harry were alone. "You don't have to like him, but don't try to make my five year old believe her father doesn't love her. As I recall, you were the one who convinced me to give him a chance. What's made you change your mind?"

"I don't know," he mumbled. "It was one thing when Malfoy was an abstract. Now he's back and in your life, and I just...I worry about my girls. You don't need me to, I know that, but I do. You can't make me not care about the two of you."

"Join us for dinner tonight," she suggested. "You can see him in action. Maybe it'll ease your mind a bit. Or he'll be so nervous around you that he pees himself a bit." Harry laughed, and agreed to stay.

Standing on the stairs, Athena eavesdropped, worried by what she had heard. She had overheard enough conversations between her parents to know that her uncle didn't approve of Draco. It angered her to listen to Uncle Happy speak so disparagingly about her father.

Turning, she ran up the stairs to the fireplace in her mother's bedroom. She'd taken the floo to the Burrow numerous times with her aunt and uncle, and had heard Hermione use it to communicate with Draco. Pulling over the vanity chair, Athena climbed onto it to grab a handful of floo powder. As clearly as she could, she called out "Draco Malfoy" as she threw the powder down. Within seconds, she was gone.

When the fireplace lit up with green flames, Draco worriedly set aside his book and waited for his visitor to emerge. Athena stepped out, a proud grin on her face. "Does your mother know you're here?" he asked in a panic, standing to pick her up.

She held tightly to him as she shook her head. "I don't like Uncle Happy," she told him, burying her face in his neck.

Sighing, he sat down with her on his lap. "That's not a good enough reason to run away from home," he replied. "Your mum is probably worried sick."

Athena sniffled. "Daddy, is it my fault that Uncle Happy doesn't like you?" she asked.

He had to stifle a laugh. "No, sweetheart, it has nothing to do with you," he said.

"But I'm why you left Mummy," she continued.

Whatever humor he felt before was gone. "Athena, I need you to listen to me carefully," he said, repositioning her so he could look her in the eye. "You were never and are never to blame for me leaving. Your mother isn't to blame either. I was scared that I couldn't be what you needed, or that I couldn't be a good dad to you. So, I left, and I have regretted it every minute since I did."

"Don't leave again," she implored, hugging him tighter.

He stood with her in his arms, making his way to the floo. "I swear to you that I won't," he replied before returning her home.


	7. Chapter 7

My dad and I were in Delaware on Sunday and got home late. In my tired and frozen state, I left my keys in the front door and didn't realize it until this morning. Either my town is a safe place or there is nothing worth stealing in my apartment.

* * *

Chapter 7

Hermione was in a panic when the sounds of footsteps overhead neared the stairs. She ran to the foot of the stairs to watch Draco descend, their daughter in his arms. "Sorry about this," he told her. "She just showed up."

The relief she felt was soon clouded by anger. "Athena, go to your room," she ordered. Draco put her down, waiting until she was gone to make excuses. "No, don't. It's not your fault. Thank you for bringing her home."

"She was only there for a few minutes," he promised.

Sighing, Hermione sat down on the bottom step and placed her head in her hands. "But why?" she wondered. "Why did she leave?"

He sat beside her, and shared what Athena had told him. "I take it Potter said something she didn't like," he reasoned. "I can't imagine what he'd say that would cause her to run away though."

It was Hermione's turn to share her afternoon conversation. "I was going to invite you to dinner tonight so the two of you could talk," she confessed. "I'm thinking it might not be a good idea now."

"Or we can clear the air," he suggested. "Maybe we'll prevent her from leaving home again if she sees that Potter and I can get along."

Nodding, she stood and made her way upstairs, informing him that Harry was in the kitchen if they wanted to get started. She planned to handle their daughter's brief disappearance. Draco waited until he heard a door close, then made his way to Harry. "You're not Hermione," he commented, looking up from the paper.

"Yeah, she's prettier," Draco responded, helping himself to some pumpkin juice before sitting down. "So, on my round of apologies, it seems you're next. Hermione said you've been a big help to her over the years, and I appreciate that, Potter. I'm sorry you had to do it when it should have been me."

Eyebrows raised, Harry accepted his apology. "It's what you do for the people you love," he replied, a hint of biting anger in his voice.

Draco pursed his lips and nodded. "Well, I'm here now," he stated, leaving the table to begin making dinner. "I'd appreciate it if you watch what you say around my daughter. Hermione's blood pressure is probably high enough without her having to worry that Athena will disappear again."

Scoffing, Harry folded the paper and turned to face the man who'd been missing for half a decade. "Nice as it is to have you back, I'm not going anywhere," he informed his childhood enemy. "I was there when Hermione brought Athena home for the first time. I was there when she walked. I was there when she needed stitches. And you were doing what? Right, sending Hermione a check each month."

Draco ignored the chicken and pot of boiling water to face the Boy Who Lived. "And how long is that going to be held over my head?" he inquired.

"It stops now," Hermione interrupted, entering the kitchen alone. Scowling, she turned to Draco. "She's not allowed to have dessert and has to be in bed half an hour early. What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Cooking," he replied. "Might want to close the floo, at least outgoing. Who knows where she could have ended up. It's a miracle she arrived safely at my house."

Hermione nodded and gave his arm a gentle squeeze of gratitude. They stood by the stove, discussing dinner plans when Harry cleared his throat. "Doesn't Teeny hate broccoli?" he reminded his best friend.

"If Draco tells her he likes it, she'll eat it," Hermione reasoned. "It's really the only way to get her to eat a vegetable. He cooked last week and got her to eat a brussel sprout. That's some serious magic there."

"They had bacon on them," Draco added with a blush. "Is it normal to trick your kids like this?"

Hermione shrugged. "Whatever works," she replied, sending him back to his task. She asked Harry to join her in the living room. "What was that? I thought you were going to give him a chance. Remember that he's preparing your food."

He chuckled despite his ire. "I think it's nice that you trust him," Harry told her, picking up a photo taken on Athena's first birthday. "And I understand her attachment to him. I felt that way about Sirius."

"Are you suggesting that I'm Dursley bad at parenting?" she interjected.

Wide eyed, he denied that that was what he meant. "No, Hermione!" He replied. "Absolutely not! I just...I meant...you're not a Dursley. All I meant was that I know what it's like to want a parent and then get one. She wanted a dad and Draco walked in. Same as it happened with Sirius. They both have prison records too, so...that's something."

Hermione scowled as she punched his arm. "Harry," she said sternly, "so help me, you will be out of this house faster than a snitch if you mention that in front of my daughter."

He promised he wouldn't, and Hermione sent him upstairs to let Athena know it was time for dinner. Hermione returned to the kitchen to watch Draco cook. "So?" he asked, mixing chicken, broccoli, and penne pasta in an alfredo sauce. "Am I ruining your relationship with your friends? That was the big worry all those years ago, which you seemed to have managed to avoid by my leaving."

"You haven't ruined anything," she assured him. "I'm sorry that I made you think they mattered more to me."

Draco shrugged and placed dinner on the table. "I understood," he muttered. "Could we talk about this later? I have no interest in fighting in front of Potter."

"I'm not interested in fighting with you at all," she retorted, setting the table.

The sour look he wore changed when the kitchen door opened and Athena joined them. They sat down to eat, the mood tense and quiet. The quartet ate quickly, and Harry suggested that he help Draco with the dishes. Hermione ushered Athena upstairs for a bath, leaving the men alone.

"Look, I'm sorry," Harry said, clearing the table. "Your daughter gave me a good talking to when I was helping her wash up for dinner. Told me not to ruin what you and Hermione have. That kid is scary when she sets her sights on something."

Draco scowled as he began to load the dishwasher. "There's nothing between Hermione and me," he muttered.

"Why is that?" Harry asked. "Are you worried she wouldn't take you back after being gone all these years? Or do you plan on bolting again?"

Slamming a pot on the counter, Draco rounded on his Hogwarts foe. "Get out of my sight," he seethed. "I'm not discussing this with you. I owe you zero explanations, Potter. Just...leave."

"I'm her godfather, did you know that?" Harry asked, refusing to back down. "No, of course you didn't. You weren't here. I don't think your name is even on the birth certificate."

"Harry, out," Hermione demanded, entering the kitchen. When she was alone with Draco, she apologized for her friend's behavior. "I promise - no more forced interactions between you and him."

Sighing, he sat down at the table. "I'm always going to be the guy who abandoned his daughter," he murmured. "For the life of me, I can't understand how you can forgive that."

"I haven't completely," she admitted. "You're here now though, and that's what matters."


	8. Chapter 8

Ebay is a magical, beautiful, wonderful place. I found a leather bound, gilded-edged copy of _Little Women_ for $25. Happy early birthday to me! I'm considering handing it over to my mom to wrap up so I have something good to open on the actual day.

* * *

Chapter 8

Still in her pajamas, Hermione moved from room to room cleaning in Athena's absence. She stood in the doorway to her daughter's room, dreading the mess that awaited her. A small part of her was grateful when she heard a knock at the front door.

Draco standing on the other side came as a complete surprise. It had been a week since they last spoke following the horrendous dinner with Harry. "Athena's at the Weasleys," she informed him, hoping he would turn and leave.

"Why aren't you there?" he wondered, inviting himself in.

"After I refused Ron's proposals, I was no longer welcome except for Athena's birthday," she informed him. "Why are you here still?"

As was his custom each time he visited, he picked up a new photograph to study. It was Athena's first day of school, and it appeared that she had inherited Hermione's excitement for learning. "To apologize for cancelling the last couple nights," he said. "What Potter said - I can't get it out of my head."

"So you avoided us for a week instead," she retorted. "Makes perfect sense. Especially when someone accuses you of abandoning your family."

"Is that what we are?" he wondered, surprised that she would refer to them as a family. "You and Athena are a family. Me though? I'm just the guy who got you pregnant. I'm not a part of this family."

Hermione took the picture frame from his hand and placed it back on the shelf before leading him to the sofa. "Don't do that," she said softly. "Don't let what Harry said affect you like this. If you want to be a part of this family, then you're welcome here. Athena was upset that you haven't come over in a week though, so you'll probably have to make it up to her. Luckily, she's easy to please."

"Merlin, let her outgrow that when she starts dating," he groaned.

Hermione laughed, quickly agreeing with him. "I want to keep her little," she said wistfully. "She's at that age where she still loves to cuddle with me in the morning and I'm not an embarrassment in public. Boys are still icky, and I'm her best friend. I just want this to last as long as possible."

"I'll start researching potions," he promised, kissing her temple. "After I apologize to Athena. It's not fair that you once again had to explain my absence. How upset was she that I didn't come over?"

She stood and made her way upstairs, returning with her hands behind her back. "Well, this happened," she said, handing him the beheaded stuffed dragon he had given her. "I'm not allowed to fix it until you tell her you're sorry."

Draco was more concerned by the decapitation than his daughter's orders. "This seems excessive," he commented.

Shrugging, Hermione sat down once more. "You promised not to leave her again," she reminded him. "She loves you though, and I'm positive she'll forgive you."

Draco nodded, hoping she was right. "Are we okay?" he asked, looking down to where Hermione placed her hand over his.

"We always seem to be," she replied, squeezing his fingers. "Even when I don't want to be, we somehow are. Like it or not, I don't think we'll ever shake one another."

"I don't want to," he confessed, shifting closer until their shoulders touched. "Do...do you think there's any possibility that you could give me another chance?"

Sure that she already had, Hermione was confused by the request. "We've had a setback," she said. "You may not see yourself as part of our family, but you are. Athena and I want you here. It doesn't matter to me what Harry thinks of you. I know a different Draco Malfoy, and I like him. You've made a little girl very happy in the last few weeks, and that makes me happy. So, don't leave us again. Stay and keep doing what you've been doing."

"What about your friends though?" he asked, worried that she would be abandoned if he became a more permanent part of her life. "I don't want to be the reason you might be forced to choose between them and me. Potter was right - he's been here for you from the start. He belongs here."

"And you don't?" she countered. "Last I checked, father trumps mother's best friend. Yes, Harry's been here the last five years, but I've never allowed him or anyone else to take your place. That spot has always only been reserved for you."

He smiled gratefully, but lost the chance to reply when the floo came to life. Athena and George Weasley stepped out, and the five year old eyed her parents. Unlike Potter, George smiled and extended his hand to Draco to shake. "Malfoy, a pleasure to see you again," he said. His grin grew as Draco looked from his hand to Hermione, wondering if it was a good idea to accept it. "Nothing nefarious. Just wanted to shake the hand of the man who helped create my favorite niece. Don't tell my brothers I said that though."

Laughing, Hermione assured him that it was fine to shake George's hand. "I intend to hold that 'favorite niece' against him if he hurts you," she added. The redhead turned to face her and pouted. "Oh stop that. I'm a mother, that look doesn't work on me."

"Cold, cold witch," George murmured, kissing her cheek. "I should be getting back. Thanks for letting me hang out with my favorite niece today."

When George left, Athena went to her room. "May I?" Draco asked, pointing to the stairs. Hermione smiled encouragingly, giving him permission to handle the situation. Taking a deep breath, he took the stairs two at a time and knocked on Athena's bedroom door. "So, how much do you hate me?"

The little girl looked up at him with confused gray eyes. "I don't hate you," she informed him. "I'm just mad at you."

Nodding, he sat down on the floor with her, watching as she brushed her doll's hair. "I got scared," he told her. "I thought maybe your uncle was right, that I don't belong here. But I realized this week that I don't like not being with you and your mum. All that matters is that the two of you want me here. If you say yes, I swear not to disappear again."

She flashed a dubious look. "You swear?" she asked, not sure she believed him. "You already broke that promise once. Does Mummy believe you?"

Blushing, he shrugged. "I think she wants to because of you," he wagered. "I imagine if you told her you didn't want me around anymore, she'd make me stay away."

"Is that what you want?" she wondered. Smiling, he shook his head. "Then don't let her make you do that. I want you to stay with us forever, Daddy."

He held his arms open to her, and Athena quickly crawled onto his lap. "You might not feel that way in ten years," he joked. "I'll take what I can get though."


	9. Chapter 9

Very important question - when company is coming over, do you put away all of your Joe Biden decorations? Am I the only one who has Joe Biden decorations? Also, anyone know where I can get a Joe Biden tree ornament?

* * *

Chapter 9

"Your daughter has kindly requested that you move in," Hermione informed Draco when he arrived for dinner two nights later. "She thinks my room would be perfect for you. After all, the blankets are so cozy."

"So now she's my daughter?" he asked, setting the table. "What did you tell her?"

Shutting off the stove, she sat down at the table. "That you snore," she replied. He laughed as he stirred the spaghetti sauce. "No, I told her that only mummies and daddies who are married live together. Of course, she then asked when we're getting married. Your daughter is too smart."

Placing dinner on the table, he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "She's _our_ daughter," he murmured. "And she's perfect."

She turned her head slightly and felt Draco's lips brush hers in the gentlest, shortest kiss. "I've missed that," she confessed, feeling her cheeks warm. Smiling, he attempted to kiss her again. "I don't think we should do this. For Athena's sake, I mean. I don't want to get her hopes up."

Though reluctant, Draco agreed that any relationship that started should remain a secret until they were sure it would last. He called Athena to dinner and had her plate filled by the time she sat down. Instead of eating, she watched her parents. They maintained a respectable distance and refused to look at one another. "What did you do?" she asked them. Both denied any wrongdoing. Twirling her spaghetti onto her fork, Athena shrugged. "I don't believe you."

"And when have I ever lied to you?" Hermione inquired, looking affronted that her daughter didn't trust her.

"When you told me a bad man lived in the oven who would eat me if I opened it," Athena offered.

Wide eyed, Draco stared at Hermione. "She kept trying to open the door while the over was on," she explained. "I was trying to prevent an injury. I've never lied about anything serious though."

Looking to Athena, the little girl confirmed that her mother was right. "Then what makes you think she'd lie to you now?" he wondered, sprinkling too much parmesan on his pasta.

Once more she shrugged, unsure how to articulate the feeling she'd had. "Do you think you'll ever getting married to each other?" she asked, gray eyes hopeful, but a bit sorrowful. "Because all the kids at school have mummies and daddies, and I only just got one. But theirs are married too, and I want that. But don't you want it?"

"Someday," Hermione admitted without thinking. When she realized what she had said, she attempted to correct herself. "I just...you know, it might be something I want to do someday if it were for the right reasons."

Athena nodded, accepting her answer. She ate silently for a few minutes before another question came to mind. "Are there wrong reasons?" she inquired.

Hermione looked to Draco. "Well, I know that I want to be in love with the woman I marry," he told them. "Sometimes people get married for money or power or because their parents arrange it for them. For me, those aren't good reasons to get married. But love? I think love is the right reason to get married."

"Do you love Mummy?" Athena asked.

Draco groaned, noting a set of gray and a set of brown eyes trained on him. "I'll never stop," he replied. He knew he had a long way to go getting Hermione to return his love after all they'd been through. "It's not the marriage kind of love though, baby."

Athena nodded as if she understood, then returned to her dinner. When she finished, Hermione excused her while they cleaned up the kitchen. "You really love me?" she asked, a wry eyebrow raised. "Or was that just for her benefit?"

"I meant it," he replied. "And I fully understand if you don't return my feelings. I've been gone for five years, giving you plenty of time to remember why you hated me, and maybe some new reasons. Is it too much to hope that maybe someday you'll feel the same way about me?"

Sighing, she distracted herself by washing the dishes. "I honestly can't say," she told him. "As nice as it is having you back, I'm not ready to jump back into the relationship we had. Although, kissing you again was nice."

Grinning like the cat who got the canary, he sidled up beside her. "Yeah? Think we could do that again?" he asked. Instead, she handed him a dish towel and plate, and ordered him to start drying.

"For Athena's sake, we need to be discreet," she stated. "It's not a good idea to kiss in front of her or hold my hand or touch in any way. She's hoping for a complete family, and I'm not ready for marriage. I don't want her getting ahead of herself or getting her hopes up. There's no way of knowing if a relationship between us would even work. Half the fun of it five years ago was that it felt forbidden. My friends hated you, you hated them, muggleborns were _persona non grata_ to your family, and that's putting it mildly. I don't want her to lose her father again because we couldn't make us work."

Reaching across her, he turned off the tap and took her wet hands in his own. "Do you want to be with me?" he asked. "Leave Athena out of the decision for the moment. You and me - do you see us together?"

"Yes," she mumbled, staring at their joined hands. "But-"

He kissed her to prevent her from finishing that sentence. "No buts," he said. "We'll go slow. We'll keep this between the two of us. We'll tell Athena when the time is right."

Taking a deep breath, she agreed. "Just...if something happens, don't leave," she implored. "Even if we aren't friends, stay for your daughter."

He kissed her again to seal the promise. "So, now she's my daughter?" he joked.

"Always has been. Always will be," she added. They parted quickly as the kitchen door opened. "Who's ready for dessert? Daddy brought chocolate pie."

Athena, arms crossed, looked from one parent to the other. "Mum, Dad, I'm five," she informed them. "Whatever it is, I can handle it. What's going on?"

Stifling a chuckle, Hermione shook her head. "There's nothing going on, peanut," she replied.

The littlest Malfoy knew better though. The mischievous smile that passed between her parents didn't go unnoticed. Something was going on, something they didn't want her to know, but Athena was determined to learn their secret.


	10. Chapter 10

I was watching the Democratic debate last night, and my enthusiastic cheering scared my cats. They hid until it was over. I regret nothing.

* * *

Chapter 10

Upset though she was that she had to spend the day with the Weasleys, Athena couldn't help but feel a bit self-satisfied that her parents would be together all day. Something was happening between them. She could feel it. They belonged together, and she wanted them to be together.

Her smile bordered on gloating as she arrived at her surrogate family's home with Uncle Ron. "What's got you in such a good mood, little lady?" he wondered, carrying her to the backyard where lunch was being set out.

"Why can't I just be happy, Uncle Ron?" she wondered.

"Because your father is a Slytherin, and I think some of that was passed on to you," he replied.

She frowned for a moment, confused by his statement. "Is a Slytherin bad?" she asked. Frowning, he shook his head. "So, if I'm a Slytherin like Daddy, that's okay?"

Kissing her cheek, he set her down on the picnic table. "I think so," he said. "Not all of them were nice when I was a student, but they had their good qualities. I don't think your mum would have liked your dad if there wasn't something good about him."

Her smile returned as she cupped her uncle's face in her small hands. "You like Daddy," she teased, giggling as he emphatically tried to deny it. "Are you still gonna like him when they get married?"

"Who's getting married?" George interrupted, sitting down next to his brother. Ron told him that no one had any plans to marry any time soon. "Right, like Hermione would tell you. She's not aware of this newfound crush you have on Draco. She just might marry him when she does find out."

Rolling his eyes, Ron returned his attention to Athena. "What makes you think your folks are getting married?" he asked her.

Athena shrugged. "They spend a lot of time together," she responded. "Like lots of time. Daddy comes over more, and Mummy smiles more when he's around. It looks goofy, if you ask me."

Choking on a snicker, George nodded and suggested she go play with her cousins. Reluctantly, she did as she was told. "You think she's right?" he asked when he and Ron were alone. "He's only been back, what, two months. Hermione's not going to marry him now, right?"

Ron waved off his older brother's concern. "Hermione's smarter than that," he said. "The kid just wants her parents together. I'm sure that's all it is."

"And if it's not?" George inquired. "If they are together now and decide to get married, are you going to be alright with that?"

The youngest Weasley son watched Athena as she played with George's daughter, Roxanne. "It doesn't matter what I think," he replied. "I know Harry has a lot of objections to Draco being back, but Ginny seems to think it's good that he's around. Look how happy Teeny is. He must not be all that bad."

Clapping his little brother on the back, George grinned. "My little boy is growing up before my very eyes," he exclaimed, wiping away a pretend tear. "Hermione's going to be thrilled to hear that you're okay with this whole situation. She wasn't going to tell you that Draco was the father because she was scared that she'd lose you and Harry, and the rest of us by extension. Can't fault her for thinking it either. I seem to recall a broom being the cause of her exile back when you were little bitty teenagers. Shagging Malfoy, well, she probably thought you'd take that a whole lot worse."

Ron looked down at his lap contritely. A confiscated broom was nothing compared to sleeping with the enemy. When she had confessed to her relationship with Draco, George was the only one who continued speaking to her. It wasn't until after Athena's birth and Draco's departure that Ron came around again. Hermione had been less than happy when he finally did.

"I'm trying, George," Ron said tiredly. "Harry's really close to losing her, and I don't want that to happen with us. She may not love me, but that doesn't change how I feel about her."

"You...love her?" George asked. " _Love_ love her?"

Ears reddening, Ron looked away so his brother wouldn't notice his embarrassment. "Like a friend," he replied.

"A friend you asked to marry you," George added. "I recall you being quite upset that she turned you down."

"It was five years ago," Ron reminded him. "Let it go."

"Last year," his brother retorted. "You asked again last year."

Rolling his eyes, Ron stood and left the table to join the pick up Quidditch game that was happening in the air above them. George turned his attention to his niece and daughter before joining in their game of tag. It was Roxie's turn to catch Athena, but George quickly scooped his niece up before his daughter could tag her. The girls laughed even as Roxie pouted that he didn't play fair. Shifting Athena to one arm, he used the other to pick up his little girl. "Better?" he asked as Roxie tapped her cousin's shoulder. Grinning, she nodded. "So, Miss Roxie, how would you feel about a slumber party tonight? If you ask me, Aunt Minnie could use a break from this troublemaker."

"I can hear you, Uncle Gigi," Athena reminded him. "Did Mummy ask you to do this so she and Daddy can spend time together?"

"You're not getting anything out of me, nugget," he replied, pressing his lips together.

"Teeny, do you wanna sleep over?" Roxanne asked hopefully. Athena glanced at her uncle, who smiled and shook his head, before agreeing. The little girls, born only months apart, had been inseparable since birth. It was often difficult to separate them, and George knew they'd both jump at the chance to have a sleepover. He breathed a small sigh of relief when Athena said yes.

Molly soon called the family to lunch, and George set down the girls to make their way to the table. Athena held his hand, but didn't move. "Gigi, is something happening with Mummy and Daddy?" she asked, a look of worry in her gray eyes.

With a small groan, he bent down to her height. "I thought that's what you wanted," he said. "Would it be bad if your mum and dad got together?"

She toyed with a piece of hair, looking anywhere but at her uncle. "Daddy could leave again," she mumbled. "I don't want him to leave again."

"I don't think you have to worry about that, sweetheart," he replied. "Go have some lunch. Let Nana know I had to step out for a bit."

Reluctantly, she made her way to the table and sat down next to Roxie, placing her head on her cousin's shoulder. George walked past the family, ignoring their questioning looks. Once inside, he stepped into the floo and disappeared in green flames. "Hermione?" he called out when he arrived at the Grangers' house. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, entering from the kitchen.

"Even better," George said, making himself comfortable. "We need to talk about Athena. Don't panic, she's fine. I never let her fly. It's more of an emotional, mental problem. Excited as she is that there might be something going on between the two of you, she's afraid that you're gonna split again."

Shaking his head, Draco muttered something under his breath about Athena's intelligence. "I promised her that wouldn't happen, even before Hermione and I...just before," he told George. "Merlin, how badly have I messed this family up already?"

"I don't think it's like that," George reasoned. "They love you and want you here. You were still a kid when you left, and Hermione understood that. What matters to the Granger girls is that you're here now. Quit thinking about the last five years and just live in the moment."

Draco nodded, flashing him a grateful smile. "Shouldn't you hate me?" he asked, hoping he wasn't pushing his luck.

Standing, George shrugged. "Eh, life's too short," he replied. "If Hermione thinks you're a good guy and Athena's happy, I'm good with you. Freddy and I always had her back, and now...well, I'll always have her back. Ron and Harry may have given her a hard time, but after all she did for me, I couldn't. She needed a friend, and I wasn't gonna turn her away. Anyhow, I should be getting back."

Draco nodded, extending his hand to the older wizard. "Thank you, George, for everything," he said. "Thank you for being here for them."

George replied with a tight smile and left through the floo. Alone, Draco pondered what help Hermione had provided, wondering if it had to do with Fred Weasley's death. He couldn't recall a time at school when Hermione had spent time with either twin. They were polar opposites, but perhaps that had helped. That she had someone - anyone- on her side was all that mattered.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Athena's spending the night at George's, so you've got the house to yourself," Draco announced when Hermione arrived home from the grocery store. She nodded and took the bags to the kitchen. "It's okay, right? George was here, but forgot to mention it. When he floo called to ask, I gave him the okay. I'm wondering now if I overstepped my boundaries."

Unpacking the bags, she assured him it was fine. "She and Roxie are hard to pry apart," she told him. "You'll see tomorrow when we pick her up. Kicking, screaming, pleading, biting, hair pulling - the whole nine yards. Why was George here?"

"Your daughter sounds like a nightmare," he remarked.

Grinning, she asked, "So, now she's my daughter?"

"Ours," he replied, kissing her before putting away a few cans of soup. "He came by looking for you and got me instead. We had a pretty nice chat. He tells me that you and Athena like me."

With a short laugh, she rolled her eyes. "You needed someone else to tell you that?" she asked. Smiling, he shrugged. "You happen to be ridiculously well liked around here. Perhaps, since we've got the house to ourselves tonight, I could show you just how well liked you are."

Groceries forgotten, Draco drew her to him, kissing her tenderly. "You're positive we'll be alone?" he asked, his voice husky as Hermione led him to the second floor. Hermione nodded, attaching her lips to his as they entered her bedroom. Her fingers made quick work of his shirt buttons, but Draco pulled away. "You're sure?"

Sighing, she took a step back. "Tell me what's bothering you," she requested, sitting on the bed.

"Well," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "the last time we did this, we made a human being. Aren't you worried about history repeating itself?"

"I hadn't considered it," she confessed. "We don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with. We could just open a bottle of wine, get some takeout, and watch movies tonight. You could sleep over or go home. It's up to you."

Nodding, he thanked her for understanding, and they left the room together. "Promise you won't think me a prude now," he teased, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Oh, it's going up on the wall in the girls' lavatory tomorrow," she threatened. "'For a good time, don't call Draco Malfoy.' Although I run a muggle book shop, so it'll mean nothing to my customers. You're not quite a big deal in these parts."

He muttered something about her being a cruel, cruel woman as he made himself comfortable on the sofa. "You know, I actually prefer that," he informed her. "As a child, I couldn't go out in public without our family making headlines, usually because I had a temper tantrum. Everyone knew the Malfoy name. Here, though, I'm just another guy, and I like it. Normal is pretty nice."

"You feel normal?" Hermione wondered, sitting beside him. His arm wound around her, holding her close. "I've lived with that kid for five years, and I'm still not entirely used to be a parent. You've been at this a couple months, and you seem so natural. How do you do it?"

Draco shrugged. "I thought about what my parents did with me, and did the opposite with Athena," was his simple answer. "Honestly, I just wanted to be liked. Not cursing her with Unforgivables seemed to be the best way to achieve that."

With a soft laugh, she thanked him for that. "I agree that was a step in the right direction," she replied.

"Plus, she's easy to love," he continued. "She was raised by you, after all. All I thought about since I left was the two of you, and I've had five years to think and wonder about you both. I didn't expect to be welcomed into your family, but when I was, I knew it's were I wanted to be. I want to love you both for the rest of my life."

Her knuckles gingerly stroked his cheek. "We intend to let you," she murmured, kissing him.

They'd fallen asleep on the sofa, the movie still playing. Two sets of little footsteps tiptoed their way downstairs. "Told you," Athena whispered to her cousin, a victorious smile on her face.

"Should we be doing this?" Roxie wondered nervously. Any minute now, her aunt could wake up and trouble would start. They weren't supposed to use the floo alone, and Athena had already gotten in trouble once for doing so. "I don't want Daddy to get mad at us."

Athena rolled her eyes. "Like that would happen," she muttered. "Uncle Gigi never gets mad. He loves us too much."

"Fine," Roxie mumbled. "We saw them together. Can we please go back to my house now?"

Nodding, they hurried back up the stairs, but woke Draco. "Hey," he whispered harshly, following them to the master bedroom. The little girls stopped, staring at him with wide, scared eyes. "What are you two doing here?"

"I missed you, Daddy," Athena said with a pout as she wrapped her arms around his legs.

Pulling her arms away, he picked her up. "That's not going to work," he warned her, holding out his free hand to Roxie. "Let's go, I'm taking you back."

"Are we in trouble, Uncle Draco?" Roxie asked.

He let go of her hand to grab some floo powder and ushered her into the fireplace. "I don't know, sweetheart," he replied. "That's up to your parents."

George and Angelina were waiting when they stepped out on the other side. Draco attempted to apologize, but Angelina waved it off and sent the girls to Roxie's room. She thanked him for bringing them back, then went to her daughter's room.

"So, sleepover at Hermione's?" George asked, waggling his eyebrows. "How'd that go?"

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about our kids sneaking out late at night?" Draco wondered. The redhead assured him that he was, but continued to push for details. "We ate pizza, watched a movie, and fell asleep. Nothing more to it. What's Angelina going to do?"

George shrugged. "Get mad, turn red, take away dessert and Athena visits for a week," he replied. "Rox has never done anything like this, and Angie will do whatever she can to make sure it doesn't happen again. I'm interested in knowing what made them think this was a good idea though."

Nodding in agreement, the pair made their way to Roxanne's room to listen in on the girls' conversation. "She didn't believe me," Athena insisted. "I told her my mum and dad are gonna get married, but she said they weren't. So, I had to show her."

"We're not getting married," Draco told her. "And thinking that we are is no excuse for sneaking out by floo in the middle of the night, Athena. We've talked about this, and your mother and I made it clear that you're not allowed to use the floo without an adult." He turned to the adults and apologized once again. "I think I'm going to take her home. I really am sorry about this."

Angelina nodded and offered him a small smile, assuring him that he'd caused no trouble. "Ask Hermione to call me in the morning," she requested.

Promising to tell her, Draco held out his hand to Athena. She left the bed slowly, as if going to the gallows, and took his hand. She glanced back at her aunt, uncle, and cousin as Draco led her to the floo and returned her home.

"What happened?" Hermione asked when father and daughter emerged. "Is everything alright?"

Draco let go of Athena's hand and told her to tell her mother what she and Roxanne had done. Without looking up from her sock covered feet, Athena did as she was told. Arms crossed over her chest, Hermione's anger rose the longer she spoke. When she was finished, Hermione sent her to her room.

"Maybe I should go," Draco said uncomfortably.

Hermione wouldn't allow it. "No, you're a parent, Draco. We have to parent now," she said. "Thank you for waking up in time to catch them. It's scary enough that they floo'd once. Who knows what could have happened if they got lost going home. I really thought we made it clear the last time she did this that it's unacceptable. What do we do?"

"Early bed and no dessert didn't seem to work out last time," he muttered. "George said Roxie's not allowed to see her for a week. Maybe we put a moratorium on the sleepovers. Only let them see each other when they can be completely supervised."

Nodding, she followed him upstairs to hand down their daughter's punishment. Athena sat on the floor beside her bed, tears dampening her cheeks, arms wrapped around her knees. She looked up when the door opened. "Did I ruin everything?" she asked, sniffling.

Brows furrowed, Draco sat down beside her. "You scared us," he told her. "I can't imagine what you think has been ruined though."

"You and Mummy," she replied.

Hermione sat down in front of her. "Daddy and I are okay," she assured their little girl. "All that matters to us is you. And keeping you safe is our number one priority. We've talked about you not using the floo alone, and you've done it twice now."

Athena nodded contritely as Draco told her what her punishment would be. "As long as you don't leave again, Daddy," she said, accepting the consequences of her actions.


	12. Chapter 12

I think my company viewed their "the heat is being turned on 10/19" memo as more of a suggestion. It's so cold in here!

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Chapter 12

"He asked if he gave us both a few hundred galleons, would we stop begging him not to leave," Hermione shared as she and Angelina sipped tea. "They're having daddy/daughter day in hopes she might believe him that he's planning on sticking around this time."

"You believe him though, don't you?" Angelina replied with a wry smile.

Hermione was quick to nod. "I do," she said. "He's in love with her. Getting back together with me seems to just be an added bonus. I hate that she's picked up on my concerns about him."

Sitting back in her chair, Angelina shrugged. "She did sneak out of my house in the middle of the night to make sure you two are together," she remarked. "Maybe she's not as afraid of him leaving as you think. Her father is a Slytherin, after all. It could all just be a ploy to guilt you two into being together."

Laughing, she thanked her friend for the suggestion. "I'd so hoped some Gryffindor would rub off on her," she lamented.

"Yeah, Harry's hero complex and George's love of pranks would have made life so much easier than a little emotional manipulation," Angelina joked. "Or our kids could be normal and boring, and oh, what a pleasant change that would be."

There was no disagreeing with that at times. Hermione definitely would have preferred quiet and boring from time to time, but then Athena wouldn't be Athena. She'd grown up around too many personalities. "I like our girls the way they are," she decided. "I wouldn't have traded Harry and George for anything, especially when Teeny was...well, teeny."

"You did get the better end of that deal," Angelina muttered, recalling how overbearing Molly had been when Roxie was born. "She once told me to hold her at a forty-one degree angle when feeding, then scolded me for holding her at forty-two. My kid's still alive, isn't she? I swear I'm not telling her about the next one."

Hermione noticed for the first time that Angelina gently rubbed her flat stomach, and offered her congratulations. "How's George taking it?" she wondered.

They both remembered how scared he'd been to become a father the first time. It was only a year after Fred's death when Angelina told him the news. She had been a source of comfort after his brother's death, but a baby wasn't supposed to happen. He'd turned to Hermione, as he had so often after losing his brother. She too had been close to Fred, and mourned his loss. She listened, any time day or night, whenever George needed to talk. When he told her his fears of becoming a father, she had reassured him that he was perfectly suited for the job. She urged him to be with Angelina. Many nights, he'd floo'd to her house when the fear and anxiety and guilt overwhelmed him. The pair sat up, talking and reminiscing, until he was composed enough to return to his new wife.

"Better than last time," Angelina admitted. "I'm not worried that he won't love the new baby. We've both seen him with Roxie; he adores her. You remember what he was like the last time though. I just worry about him."

"He stuck around though," Hermione added, hoping she sounded encouraging. "Despite how he felt, he never left you."

"Like Draco did," Angie replied before cover her mouth. "Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry."

Taking a deep breath, the younger woman shrugged. "You're not wrong," she said. "You have no idea how much I envied you. George loved you enough to stay. He understood what being a father meant. Happy as I am that Draco's back, sometimes I can't help but be mad at him for getting to live a normal life the last five years."

"I thought things were better between the two of you," Angelina commented.

Hermione was quick to assure her that they were. "Sometimes I just resent him for leaving," she confessed. "I love that he's back and throwing himself completely into being a father. I just wish he'd wanted to be here sooner."

The front door opened and Draco announced their return, effectively ending the pair's conversation. "We're just back for a nap," he told them, entering the kitchen. "Didn't mean to intrude."

"It's fine," Hermione told him, watching him pour a small cup of milk for Athena. "We were only talking about you."

"My devilish good looks and charm again?" he guessed.

"And your incredible sense of modesty," Angie added. "I should be getting home now. We'll talk again soon."

The couple said nothing until Angelina was gone. Taking her seat, Draco asked what they had talked about. Reluctantly, she told him. When she finished, he released a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Looking away, she nodded. "I know," she replied with a sad smile. "We were pregnant at the same time, you know. After you left, she was scared George might leave too. He almost did."

Draco understood. His actions had led George to stay with Angelina and raise their daughter. He'd done the responsible thing while Draco ran off to America. "I don't know what to say," he admitted.

She reached across the table for his hand. "You don't have to say anything," she assured him. "I wasn't telling you this to make you feel guilty. I don't really know why I told you. The point is - you've both been good fathers to your children, and that's what should matter."

"Can you honestly say that you're not still mad at me for leaving though?" he wondered. "Because, quite frankly, I still can't forgive myself for that."

"Most of the time I have," she told him. "This is what I've wanted since we first got together - to be with you. I believe you when you say you're not going to leave again. Although, your daughter might if you don't bring her that milk."

He smiled gratefully, both for her confidence in him and the reminder, and promised to return shortly. Hermione used the time to clean up the kitchen, but was surprised when Draco hadn't come back when she finished. Curious, she made her way to the second floor and stood outside Athena's bedroom.

Draco laid on the bed, his arms wrapped around his slumbering daughter. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Hermione and smiled at her. "Wanna cuddle?" he whispered.

Grinning, she tiptoed into the room and gently laid down behind Athena. "We should buy her a bigger bed," she suggested. "One that fits three."

"Two seconds and you're complaining already," he teased. "I'm quite comfortable. Sure, my right arm has gone dead, but I'm not complaining."

Neither spoke as Athena rolled over. Hermione worried that they had woken her, but the little girl just let out a soft sigh. Draco breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe we should go," Hermione suggested.

Nodding, Draco eased his arm out from under his daughter, and the pair left the room. "I didn't mean to abandon you down here," he told her, sitting on the sofa. "She asked me to stay with her. I couldn't say no."

"That used to be me," Hermione replied. "She likes you better."

"Not jealous, are you, Granger?" he asked, putting on his childhood sneer for old times. Scoffing, she elbowed him in the ribs in response. "Still so violent. Let's hope our perfect only child didn't inherit that from you."

Hermione pulled his arm around her shoulders. "I think you should spend the night here," she decided.

He looked down at her, eyes wide. "What about Athena?" he asked.

"Well, she lives here, so I thought she'd stay," Hermione replied.

Pulling away, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You're sure that's a good idea?" he wondered. "What happened to not telling her about us?"

"I wasn't thinking of putting up a banner and streamers," she retorted. "Besides, I'm pretty sure she's figured it out on her own. I think you should be here, Draco, in this house. You can take the guest room, although I'm sure Teeny will somehow convince you to sleep in her room. I just want to try this, see what it's like to all be together."

Turning to face her, he noticed the sincerity in her dark eyes. "Okay, I'm in."


	13. Chapter 13

Has anyone else read the Maze Runner books? I'm halfway through the 2nd book, and I'm ridiculously attached to Minho. Can someone confirm that I can remain attached to him? Please?!

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Chapter 13

Athena bounced excitedly in her seat, barely able to eat her dinner. Draco removed the fork from her hand and threatened to sit on her until she calmed down. "Are you gonna live with us forever, Daddy?" she asked, opening her mouth to the incoming forkful of mashed potatoes.

"It's an experiment," he explained. "You have to sleep in your own bed and I'm not allowed to leave wet towels on the bathroom floor. If your mum decides this isn't working, I'll go back to my house and we'll have sleepovers like we did before."

Nodding, she took the fork from him and ate her dinner. "What if Mummy doesn't think it's working, but we do?" she wondered. "Do we all have to agree, or can it be two against one?"

Chuckling, Draco rolled his eyes. "You little Slytherin," he muttered. "If your mother and I agree that this isn't working, I'm going to go back to my house. That's the deal we made."

"So, I don't get a say?" she asked, pushing away her plate. "That's not fair, Daddy."

"Welcome to adulthood, kid," he joked, clearing the table. The front door opened and Hermione announced she was home. "Go bug your mum while I make her a plate."

Rolling her eyes, Athena left the kitchen to greet her mother. Draco couldn't help but laugh as he heard the little girl enthusiastically tell Hermione how great their day had been. They entered the kitchen, Hermione grinning with held-in laughter. "Daddy's the best," Athena continued. "He cooks and he helped me pick up all my toys and we read together. I think this is gonna work, Mummy. Daddy's perfect for us."

"And what does Daddy think?" Hermione wondered.

Draco put a plate of chicken and potatoes in front of her. "He thinks your daughter is exhausting," he replied sitting across from her. "I guess I like her though."

Athena climbed onto his lap, scowling at him. "You guess?" she asked indignantly. "I thought I was your favorite daughter. That's what you said."

"You are," he promised, kissing the top of her head. "I wouldn't trade you for anything in the world."

Hermione couldn't help the smile that appeared on her lips as she watched her family. It only took a few months for the picture before her to form. It could work. It would work. "What about Mummy?" she heard Athena ask. "Do you want to keep her?"

Draco looked to Hermione, flashing a loving look her way. "The real question," he told his daughter, "is does she want to keep me."

Two sets of gray eyes settled on her. Hermione pretended to consider it for a moment. "I don't know," she said. "Maybe I'll take a vacation from both of you. I could use it. This emotional manipulation is exhausting."

Draco laughed as Athena asked what that meant. "It means we're wearing her down," he whispered conspiratorially. Hermione scoffed, nearly choking on her dinner. "Or we're slowly killing her."

"Do it and you get stuck with her forever,"Hermione warned. "Blink and she'll be a teenager. Imagine the situations you'll have to handle alone."

Draco cringed, ignoring Athena's questions about the situations that could arise when she was older. "Fair point," he agreed. "I think we should keep you around."

Laughing, Hermione nodded and put her empty plate in the sink. Little arms wrapped around her legs, and she could feel Athena's head press against her back. "I wanna keep you, Mummy," she murmured. "Daddy's just teasing you."

Turning, Hermione picked up her daughter and held her close. "I know, sweet pea," she assured her. "Why don't you go pick out a movie, I'll make sundaes, and we can have a movie night?"

"Am I invited?" Draco wondered when they were alone.

"No, Cinderella, you're on kitchen duty," she replied sarcastically. "You get to handle the whipped cream. And maybe later, we'll find a more grown up activity for it. Unless you still aren't ready for that, in which case, we make the sundaes right in the carton and go to town."

Chuckling, he kissed her cheek. "It's not that I don't want to, because I really do," he told her. "I just...I don't know. Maybe I'm not ready."

After scooping the ice cream, she returned the carton to the freezer. "Are you scared that if I got pregnant again, you might leave?" she wondered.

Draco was quick to deny it. "That's not it at all," he promised. "You know, I thought when I left that you'd find someone else. Part of me hoped you would, but I was kind of relieved that you didn't. This is my family, and this is where I want to be. But I'm still getting used to it all. I don't want you and Teeny worrying that if we had another baby that I'd leave again. I've only just convinced her that I'm not going anywhere. I just...I don't want to rush anything."

Nodding, she kissed his cheek. "I'm not worried," she told him. "I trust you, Draco. We're older and wiser now. There are precautions we could take. The kind we maybe should have taken back then."

"We wouldn't have Athena though," he pointed out.

"We also might not be together now," she added.

Draco nodded in agreement. "So, we're decided that having Athena was a good thing?" he asked, making Hermione smile.

"About ninety percent of the time," she replied, carrying dessert to the living room. "The other ten percent is watching _Beauty and the Beast_ on a loop."

Athena grinned and handed her mother the movie. "Daddy hasn't seen it," she said.

"Fifteen times," Draco whispered in Hermione's ear. "We've watched it fifteen times."

Rolling her eyes, Athena sat on the couch, spread her blanket across her lap, and picked up a sundae. "But not with both of us, Daddy," she replied, patting the seat to her left.

"Oh, well, that's different then," he said, sitting beside her. He dipped his finger in her whipped cream and dabbed it on her nose. "Just keep in mind that if you make us watch _The Little Mermaid_ next, we're going to bathe you in ice cream."

Athena giggled. "That doesn't sound like a bad thing," she decided, pressing her nose to his cheek. "No more though, or Mummy will get mad at us for making a mess."

He cleaned off her nose as the movie started. Mother and daughter were able to recite the movie line for line. Soon, the only sound was the movie. Glancing to his left and right, he saw that they had both fallen asleep. Carefully, he eased the bowls from their hands. He placed Athena's head on his lap and levitated a blanket to cover her. Then he draped his arm around Hermione, resting her against his shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, he settled in for the time being. This was his life now, and he loved it.


	14. Chapter 14

Happy Friday! My cousin and I have started a blanket making business, and today I think I scored my first customer! Yes, that was a shameless plug and a brag all rolled into one. Not even sorry.

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Chapter 14

It was rare that Athena got to go to Diagon Alley, and was delighted to spend the morning there with her father. "Can I have an owl?" she asked as they passed the post office. Draco shook his head. They neared the pet store. "How about a cat? Mummy said she had a cat."

"Are you trying to get me thrown out of the house?" he asked, leading her into the bookstore. "You can get a pygmy puff at Uncle Gigi's store, but that's the only pet your mother is going to let into the house."

"Yeah, she might get mad," Athena agreed, skimming the new release table. "Daddy, Uncle Happy is staring at us."

Draco set down a book of potions and looked outside. "Haven't seen him in awhile," he muttered.

Her hold on his hand tightened as the front door opened and Harry entered. "Daddy?" she asked nervously.

"Potter," Draco said sternly.

"Malfoy."

"Hermione's not here," Draco told him. "You know, in case you wanted to apologize."

Harry pretended to consider that for a moment. "Yes, I should apologize to her," he agreed facetiously. "After all, I teased and tormented her for years. I stood by while she was tortured. I abandoned her and her newborn daughter. Oh wait, that was all you."

"And I apologized for it all," Draco retorted. "I'm not going to fight with you in public in front of my child though. Perhaps we should just go our separate ways. If Hermione's interested, I'm sure she'll call."

Giving Athena's hand a gentle tug, they made their way to the door. "Does she hate me?" he heard Harry ask.

Wrenching her hand out of Draco's, Athena turned and stomped over to him. "Yes, she does," the little girl informed him. "You can't say bad things about Daddy and expect us to still like you. You hurt Mummy, and you should say you're sorry."

Behind her, Draco tried his hardest to conceal a laugh. Athena truly was her mother's daughter, and Draco had never been prouder. "Can't say she's wrong," he said, smirking at his childhood enemy. "Teen, let's go visit Uncle Gigi. We'll stop back here before we go home."

Harry watched them leave, gave them a two minute head start, and left the shop. Entering the Leaky Cauldron, he floo'd to Hermione's house, hoping she was home. She looked up from her book as he approached, glaring as she slowly closed it. "Hi," he said sheepishly.

"Hi?" she spat back. "You show up in my house unannounced and uninvited after disparaging the father of my child, disappearing for weeks, and all you have to say is hi? Have you been smoking gillyweed or something?"

He murmured an apology as he stared down at his shoes. "I just...I wanted to make things right with us," he admitted. "You're my best friend, Hermione, and I miss you. Looking out for each other is what we've always done. Maybe I took it too far this time."

"You think?" she scoffed. "Draco and I are together. He's moved in to be closer to the both of us. I'm not against us mending this rift, but I won't do it at the expense of my family."

Harry nodded as he sat down across from her. "Athena yelled at me," he shared. "Right there in the middle of Flourish and Blotts, she told me I can't be mean to Malfoy and expect the two of you to still like me."

"You needed my five year old to point that out to you?" she inquired. "Believe me, Harry - I understood your concerns. No one remembers better than I do what life was like while Draco was gone, but I've chosen to give him another chance. Either you respect that or you go. There's no in between that I can see. You have to decide if we're more important than your feud with Draco."

Harry nodded. "I pick you," he said.

"And you'll be nice to Draco?" she pressed.

Groaning, he nodded. "I'll try," he amended. "So, can we be friends again?"

"We can try," Hermione said as the front door opened, but made no promises. Athena ran to her, her face lit up with a happy smile. "I take it you and Daddy had a nice morning together."

The little girl nodded. "We saw the owls, and Daddy said I can maybe get one when I'm eleven," she shared. "And we went to a really cool bookshop and Uncle Gigi's store. Daddy and I shared a milkshake, but I wasn't supposed to tell you that. Sorry, Daddy."

Draco laughed as he entered the living room, stopping when he saw Harry. Raising his eyebrows, he silently asked if everything was alright. With a tight smile, she nodded once and quickly. "Did Daddy do anything else I won't approve of?" she wondered, returning her attention to Athena. Looking hesitantly between her parents, the little girl produced a blue pygmy puff that she had named Freddy. "Well, I like it."

Athena released a sigh of relief. "So, now that that's over, why's Happy here?" she inquired, eyeing her uncle.

"Took your advice, Teeny," he said, getting to his feet. Turning to Draco, he held out his hand. "Draco."

The blond eyed the hand and slowly reached for it. "Harry."

Nodding uncomfortably, Harry let go and took a step back. "I should get home," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We'll talk soon, yeah?"

Hermione agreed, then he left. "That was strange," Draco commented.

"He said he'd consider giving you a chance," Hermione told him. "Not that I care. The only chance that matters is the one Athena and I gave you. Everyone else is superfluous."

Grinning, he wrapped his arms around her. "You're sexy when you're angry," he murmured.

"Dad, I'm still here," Athena reminded them. "Should I leave so you two can get all mushy?"

They turned to face her, a look of faux surprise on Draco's face. "Who told you?" he demanded. "Your mum and I thought we were keeping this a secret so well!"

Giggling, Athena pointed at her parents. "Just all...that," she replied, scrunching her nose. "You and Mummy are both bad hiders."

"You can go," Hermione suggested. "Brush your teeth please." When their daughter left, Draco grinned mischievously. "I can't believe you gave her a milkshake for breakfast. Do you eat like that? How are you not three hundred pounds?"

Scoffing, he laughed and sat beside her. "I saw you polish off an entire sleeve of cookies after dinner the other night," he reminded her. "Although, I happen to like a woman with a healthy appetite. Or maybe I just like you."

"You had a choice, you know," she said, leaning against him. "You could have found yourself a nice woman who didn't eat cookies in bed or has stretch marks from bearing your spawn. But you picked me. Not too bright are you, Malfoy?"

Chuckling, he shrugged. "I chose love," he told her. "If I'd respected my parents' wishes, I would have had the woman you described. And if she ate cookies in bed, I'd probably hate her for it. I've been in love with you for so long that I think I'm blinded to it all."

"Is that good or bad?" Hermione wondered, genuinely perplexed.

"Good," he assured her, kissing her temple. "So, this living together experiment - would you say it's gone well so far?"

She considered his question. There had been some apprehension when she had first suggested that he move in with them. She envisioned arguments and fights for control, and that he would eventually leave. But he hadn't. Draco stayed, gave parenting a try, and never allowed Athena to pit him against her mother. They made a decent team, and Hermione was interested in seeing where they might go.

"I'd say it's going well enough to put your house up for sale," she decided, looking up to see if he agreed.

Draco nodded in agreement. "Tomorrow then."


	15. Chapter 15

I had just written this chapter when one reviewer asked if you'd see Lucius and Narcissa in this story. Here you go!

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Chapter 15

"Are you and Daddy still gonna pretend you aren't in love?" Athena asked, sitting on her mother's bed as Hermione folded laundry. "And since he lives here now, does he still have to have his own bedroom?"

Hermione groaned. She had been fielding questions for days since they announced Draco would be a permanent member of their household. "What makes you think your dad wants to share a room?" she wondered. "Or that I want to share one with him? He snores, you know. Maybe he should share a room with you instead. You can sleep through anything."

Athena wrinkled her nose. "I don't want to share with a boy," she replied, causing her mother to laugh. "If you and Daddy have another baby, don't make it a boy."

"I can't promise anything," Hermione said, handing her a pile of clean clothes to put away in her room. "Hey, Teeny, if you don't like any of the changes we're making, you can tell us. We haven't really asked how you'd feel before making them, and I'm sorry about that, sweetheart."

Athena smiled. "I want Daddy to be here with us," she interrupted. "He belongs to us, Mummy."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hermione returned to her task. Their daughter supported their relationship and the steps they'd taken to right it. Draco had proven that he was a good father, one who loved his child unconditionally. The fear that he wouldn't because she was a half blood had disappeared soon after his return. Athena had taken his increased presence in stride, welcoming each change as it was made.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder when the other shoe would drop though.

"You don't have a secret love child in America, right?" she asked when Draco entered the bedroom.

Blond brows rose. "The only one I know of is sitting downstairs waiting impatiently for lunch," he replied. "Although, she was never really a secret."

She scowled, imploring him to be serious for just a moment. "I just can't help but think something is bound to go wrong eventually," she confessed.

Sighing, he rubbed his neck. "Well," he said uneasily, "I did get a letter from the Malfoys. I'd assumed the property was mine to do with as I pleased, but they've filed an injunction to prevent me from selling it. They offered to discuss the matter, but that would mean having to see them."

The laundry forgotten, she sat down on the bed. "What are you going to do?" she wondered.

He shrugged. "I haven't spoken to them in five years," he shared. "They're not a part of my life anymore, and I planned to keep it that way. I could forget about selling the house, just let them keep it. But then there's that morbid curiosity that seeps in. The one telling me I should find out what they're up to."

"So, what are you going to do?" she asked again.

"Run away?" he suggested, hoping she'd take it as a joke. "Or I could man up and go see them. How do you think they'll react to you and Athena?"

Hermione wrapped her arm around his and placed her head on his shoulder. "So well," she replied sarcastically. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled to meet their half blood granddaughter and her mudblood mother."

He flinched beside her. "You're a witch, plain and simple," he told her. "If they can't accept that, I have no qualms about never speaking to them again...again."

"You've always got family here," she reminded him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "And maybe you'll get lucky. Maybe they've changed. They lost you once, Draco. They might not want to lose you again."

Draco snorted. "You seem to be confusing Lucius and Narcissa for loving, caring parents," he replied. "They'd disown me before accepting that I love a muggleborn. Can't have their pristine reputations ruined." He'd added the last thought with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

Being Death Eaters and Lucius's multiple stays in Azkaban had been the downfall of the family's reputation. Though he had no idea how they had fared after he left, he was sure it couldn't be good. He resolved to ask Ron to do some digging for him.

They sat in silence for a long time, neither sure what to say next. Hermione could only think of her one and only time at Malfoy Manor, hating the relived memories of torture and pain. Subconsciously, she rubbed the scar on her right arm before Draco pulled her hand away.

"Hey, if it's you or them, I want you to know that I pick you," he told her. "I love you, Hermione. You and Athena are the only people in the world who matter to me."

"We love you too," she murmured, kissing him softly. "I think maybe you should give them a chance though. They could surprise you."

Sighing, he nodded, begrudgingly agreeing to see his parents.

Two days later, he stood at the front door to Malfoy Manor, too scared to lift his fist to knock. Digging deep, he tried to conjure some of Hermione's Gryffindor courage, but to little avail. The door opened as he paced in front of it. The nervous house elf wasn't one he recognized, but it knew him.

"Master Draco!" the little tea towel-covered elf remarked. "The Master and Mistress is waiting in the parlor. Right this way, right this way."

He followed the elf who crushed and twisted and pulled its long ears as it walked. "Mother, Father," he greeted his parents for the first time in half a decade. Narcissa stood, crossed the room swiftly, and hugged her son. Taken aback by the rare display of affection, it took several seconds for him to respond. He placed a hand on her back, his other arm dangling by his side. "It's, um, it's good to see you too."

Lucius remained seated, glaring at his son with cold anger in his steely gray eyes. Narcissa sniffled, let him go, and pulled him to sit beside her across from his father. "Where have you been all this time?" she asked, dabbing at the tears in her eyes. "Why has it been so long since I've seen you, my dear?"

Taking a deep breath, he pulled a picture from his pocket. "I have a daughter," he told her, handing over the photo. "I'm ashamed to admit she's the reason I left."

"I take it the mother isn't pureblood," Lucius interjected. "I would be ashamed to have sunk to such levels too."

Draco scowled, then sneered. "I'm quite proud to tell you her mother is Hermione Granger," he replied. "I'm in love with her. And wouldn't you know it? We made a little girl who's perfect."

"A half blood," Lucius spat. "It's one thing to keep a mudblood as a side piece, but you don't sully the family bloodlines. You were raised better than that, Draco."

He scoffed, pocketing the photograph of Athena. "I was raised to be a hateful racist," he retorted. "Despite you, I think I've turned out rather well. Hermione and Athena welcomed me into their family wholeheartedly despite of my actions."

Narcissa squeezed his hand and smiled. "I'd like to meet them," she requested. "I've heard nothing of her the last few years. I take it she moved back to the muggle world after graduation?"

Draco nodded. "It's nice there," he shared with his mother. "We can be normal. No one knows who we are or what we've done. Photographers aren't hounding us. We're not a headline. Athena's as normal as she can possibly be. She's smart and sassy and always on the ball. She's completely Hermione but with my eyes."

"She sounds wonderful," Narcissa replied.

Draco nodded in agreement and promised to arrange a meeting for his mother. "Father, I'd appreciate it if you were there as well," he continued. "However, I understand if you want nothing to do with my family. Keep in mind that I'm fine having nothing to do with you also."


	16. Chapter 16

Today I asked my coworker which comes first in the alphabet - F or R. Sleep deprivation is taking over my life.

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Chapter 16

"This is ridiculous," Lucius muttered as Narcissa pulled him into the floo. Draco had written the day before to extend a dinner invitation to his parents. His mother had been quick to accept, and gave her husband no choice but to join them.

"So help me, Lucius, you will give them a chance," Narcissa said, her tone threatening. "I will not lose my son again because of you."

Lucius scoffed. "We lost him to that mudblood bint," he responded. "Some daft girl spreads her legs, ends up pregnant, and ruins our son's life. Has he even confirmed that this... _child_ is his?"

"You will not talk like this in from of them," she warned, arms crossed over her chest. "Your son is happy and back home. Miss Granger doesn't seem the type to lie to Draco about fathering a child if he didn't. We're going to meet our granddaughter. I suggest if you have nothing nice to say that you stay silent."

Narcissa tossed down a handful of floo powder, and they soon stepped into the Grangers' living room. Before them stood a gray eyed child with long, curly hair and a suspicious look on her face. "Daddy!" she called out, taking a step back. "You have company."

Smiling, Narcissa bent to her height. "Are you Athena?" she asked. "Because I've heard a lot about you from your daddy, and I have been bursting with excitement to finally meet you. I'm your grandma."

Athena's gaze moved from her to the man standing rigidly by the fireplace. "He seems less bursty," she remarked. "If you're my grandma, is he my grandpa?"

Hermione and Draco joined them, and he confirmed that Lucius was her grandfather. "He takes a little getting used to," Draco whispered, picking her up. He invited his parents to sit, gesturing to the sofa. "So, grandma? You're okay with being grandma?"

"Insisting that my grandchild call me Mrs. Malfoy seemed too stodgy," Narcissa joked, accepting a cup of tea from Hermione. "Perhaps Athena has other suggestions? What do you call your mother's parents?"

Athena shrugged and leaned back against her father's chest in a rare display of shyness. "Mummy doesn't have any."

Draco cleared his throat. "The war," he mouthed. Lucius had the good sense to look away. Hermione had erased their memories of her before the war began to protect them. The spell was irreversible, and they lived as Monica and Wendell Wilkins in Australia. "She calls the Weasleys Nana and Poppy. She's got plenty of cousins and aunts and uncles thanks to them too."

"I think that's nice," his mother decided. "The two of you being only children, it must be nice to have an extended family."

Athena paid no attention, her eyes trained on Lucius. He intrigued her, and she wanted to know more. Wiggling out of her father's grasp, she walked over the man who had yet to be properly introduced. "Mummy keeps the good snacks up high," she informed him. "Would you like a cookie?"

All eyes turned to them, breath held as they awaited Lucius's response. The smallest hint of a smile cracked his severe demeanor. "I like the sound of that," he decided, taking her tiny hand.

Athena led him to the kitchen, then pointed to the snack cabinet. He took down a box of chocolate chip cookies, handed her one, and took another for himself. She directed him to the small kitchen table and sat down. "So, why don't you like us?" she asked as he took a bite of his cookie.

Lucius nearly choked. "Excuse me?" he replied. Sitting up a bit straighter, she repeated herself. "Not one for subtlety, are you?"

"Daddy says I get that from Mum," she said. "So, are you gonna tell me or not?"

"It's...complicated," he told her, putting down his half eaten treat.

Leaning back in her chair, Athena rolled her eyes. "How?" she wondered. "I've heard stories, you know. Mummy and Daddy didn't like each other growing up, but then something happened, something big and bad. Must have changed things, if you ask me. What happened that it didn't change you?"

"You are your mother's child," Lucius murmured. "In our world there are classifications. Your father is a pureblood, your mother is a muggleborn. For a very long time, many of the pureblood families believed that purebloods should only be with other purebloods. I was among those who believed that."

"And you still do," Athena added, shaking her head. "It seems like a silly reason to not like my mum and be mad at my dad. Does that mean you don't like me either?"

He smiled kindly. "I have a feeling you won't let me dislike you," he commented.

Draco entered the kitchen to check on the pair, momentarily ending his daughter's interrogation of her grandfather. "Father, are you sweating?" he asked, stealing Athena's uneaten cookie. Grinning, he picked her up, sat down in her seat, and placed her on his lap. "She learned it all from Hermione. Grangers are women you should never anger."

Lucius nodded. "I'm learning that," he agreed.

"They're pretty great, if you give them a chance," Draco continued, holding his daughter close. "This little one in particular is quite hard not to love."

Athena grinned victoriously and kissed his chin. "I'm adorable," she confessed, causing her father to laugh.

"And there's your father," Lucius remarked. "She has your smile, son."

Draco smiled, happy that his father was attempting to embrace his family. "So, is it safe to leave the two of you alone and go back Hermione and Mother, or do you require a chaperone?" he asked.

Lucius waved him away, wanting to talk more to Athena uninterrupted. Standing, he placed his daughter on the chair, and bent down to whisper that she should call if she needed him. When he was gone, Lucius retrieved the cookies once again and handed her another. "I once heard Daddy say that he does the opposite of you when it comes to me," she shared. "What does that mean?"

He sighed heavily, wondering just how much she knew. "Is he a good father?" he asked, receiving a nod in response. "I wasn't. I wasn't good at being a father."

"Do you love him?" Athena wondered. It was a long time before Lucius nodded, and she wasn't convinced that he meant it. "Are you mad that he's with my mum?"

Again, he hesitated to answer. He'd hoped to keep their bloodlines pure, but Draco had thrown a wrench in his plans. His heir was supposed to marry Astoria Greengrass. The arrangement had been made just after Draco's fifteenth birthday. After that, the war consumed the Malfoy family, and the Greengrasses decided to halt the union. Then Draco disappeared.

When he didn't answer, Athena amended her question. "Do you want to be my grandpa?" she asked.

This time, he answered right away. "Yes, I do."


	17. Chapter 17

Now that you've been lulled into a false sense of security, I give you the next chapter.

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Chapter 17

Ron and George listened anxiously as Athena regaled them with stories of her first meeting with her grandparents. The more excited she became, the more their concern grew. She knew nothing of Lucius Malfoy's past, knew nothing of Death Eaters and Voldemort. It wasn't their place to tell her though, and so they listened quietly until she was finished. Then, when she was done, she abruptly left.

George laughed at the absurdity of it all, but Ron found nothing funny about the situation. "I'm guessing they haven't told her everything," he muttered. "For all his talk about doing things differently than his parents, this doesn't seem like the right move."

"They're the only family he's got, and it seems important to him to have them," George replied. "From what Hermione's told me, it was Narcissa's idea. As soon as Draco mentioned the kid, she jumped at the chance to play Granny to her. Athena's somehow managed to wrap Voldie's number two around her finger while she was at it. That's talent, if you ask me. He may not be trustworthy, but I trust Hermione and Draco's judgement. They'll do whatever it takes to protect her, and they wouldn't allow the Malfoys into her life if they didn't think it was a good idea."

Ron sighed, knowing his brother was right. That didn't mean he had to like it though. "I'm not convinced," he said. "Don't get me wrong. There's no one in the world I trust more than Hermione, and I've come around to Draco. I know they wouldn't do anything to harm Teeny. I just...it's sudden, don't you think? He hasn't even mentioned his folks, at least not to us, and now they're back in his life. It feels suspicious."

"I'd say you've been an Auror for too long, but I'm afraid you might be right," George replied. "He's asked you to look into them, so just do that. Soon as you come across anything, make sure they know. Narcissa may be interested in being a grandmother, but I can't see Lucius being so accepting of his halfblood granddaughter and muggleborn future daughter-in-law. If there's anything, chuck his arse in Azkaban as soon as you can, before he can hurt them."

Ron nodded. "I think I've maybe already found something."

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"So, my parents in our lives - my idea?" Draco asked tiredly. He'd spent the day with his mother, filling her in on the last five years of his life. She had asked question after question, occasionally questioning why he'd left without a word. Try as he might, he could produce no response that satisfied her.

"It's hard to accept that your child doesn't want to be in your life," Hermione replied. "I understood why you left, but cutting out your parents with no explanation had to be difficult on them."

He shrugged and began to wash the dishes still in the sink from breakfast. "You really think they deserved one after what they put me through?" he asked. "I don't blame my mother for any of it. She wasn't a Death Eater. She wanted nothing to do with that life. But Lucius? I still can't forgive him for what he did."

Her arms wrapped around his waist from behind. "Do you really think we can trust him?" she wondered. Sighing, Draco said he didn't know. "I don't want Athena getting hurt. He seemed so good with her, but I know how deceptive he can be. I swear I'll kill him if he hurts our daughter."

"You'll have to get in line," Draco muttered. "Mother said he enjoyed his talk with Athena, but I'm not sure I can believe that there was no ulterior motive behind it. We both know he's not above using an Unforgivable on a child. I'd hate to think what he could do with an Imperius Curse."

Brown eyes widened as she circled around to face him. "You don't really think he'd do that?" she asked. "For what purpose?"

"To turn us against each other?" he suggested. "He knows he can't get to us. We don't trust him, and he knows we'll be on guard. But Athena? She's young and has some faith in him. She's more malleable than we are."

Hermione felt like she'd been punched in the stomach, and felt the breath leave her lungs. Backing away from him, she sat down at the table. "You're right," she admitted. "Merlin, I hate that you're right. So, what do we do?"

Before he could respond, he heard Ron call out to them. Exiting the kitchen, they greeted him at the foot of the stairs. "Just dropping off the kid. She's in her room," he reported. Draco nodded, thanking him for bringing Athena home. "Listen, um, that digging you asked me to do, Draco, I think I found something. I came across a case that I think may have involved your father. There's not enough evidence to convict, but we can question him. I wanted to run it by the two of you before we do anything."

The couple exchanged a brief look before Hermione let Draco know that the decision was solely up to him. "What's the case?" he asked, hoping to buy himself some more time.

Ron tipped his head toward the living room, and the three adults sat. "It had to do with the parents of a muggleborn," he began, his gaze shifting between Draco and Hermione. All color drained from Hermione's face, and Ron could tell she wondered if the crime had anything to do with her parents. "There was a plot to find them and use them to get to you, me, and Harry. Unfortunately, or I don't know, maybe it was a good thing, they had no idea what the Death Eaters were talking about. They were tortured, Hermione. It's why you couldn't reverse the spell. Whatever dark magic they used sealed the memories."

"I thought you said there was no evidence," Draco responded, hearing Hermione sniffle beside him.

"We don't know who exactly did it," Ron told them. "We've already locked up the few Death Eaters who survived the war, but Lucius got off a lot easier than they did. It's why the case went cold. We either had them in prison, they were dead, or they're Lucius Malfoy."

Draco released a breath and turned to face his silent girlfriend. "Hermione?" he said her name tentatively, fearful of the anger she could unleash.

"Why am I only just finding this out?" she demanded. "It's been five years, Ronald. How long have the Aurors known this?"

Ron was quick to apologize, letting her know he had only just learned of the case. "It happened when the Death Eaters had control of the Ministry. It got buried," he replied. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. At least we have some answers now. So, how do you want to proceed?"

"Do it, investigate him," Hermione replied. "Do it quietly though. Who knows what could happen if he found out."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Harry waited nervously for Hermione to arrive. She had finally agreed to meet for lunch, and he hoped they could put their disagreements behind them. When she sat down, he could tell it had been days since she'd had a good night's sleep. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Yawning, she filled him in on the latest goings on, focusing mainly on the investigation. "We haven't said anything to Teeny about it, but she's asked why she can't see Draco's parents," she continued. "How do I tell her that her new grandpa is evil and may have tortured my parents?"

Taken aback by the onslaught of new information, Harry blinked several times as he tried to formulate a response. "Maybe you shouldn't," he said. "Wait until you know for sure before telling her that she can't see Lucius anymore. How's Mal...Draco handling this?"

Sighing, she shrugged. "Fine," Hermione replied. "I think he's used to it by now. That sounds horrible, I know. And I don't mean it sound like he's okay with what his father did. He just...doesn't expect much from him anymore."

Harry nodded. He'd suffered similar disappointments as a child growing up with the Dursleys. "You reckon Narcissa knows?" he wondered. "Torturing muggles isn't my idea of pillow talk, but who knows what he told her."

"I don't think so," Hermione answered. "Honestly, I don't know. Draco said they always had a better relationship than he had with his father. I can't imagine she wouldn't have said anything to him, especially now that she knows we're together."

He hoped she was right. Narcissa had shown a different side of herself during the war when she saved his life. Harry wanted to believe that there was some good in her. She loved her son, and had been willing to risk her life for him. From the way Hermione told it, Narcissa was bound and determined to repair her relationship with Draco. Withholding information about his girlfriend's parents was not the way to do it.

"How are you holding up with all this?" Harry wondered, briefly halting their conversation to order lunch.

When the waitress left, Hermione leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "So much has changed so fast," she confessed, sounding more tired now than when she had first sat down. "I just...I miss the way things used to be when it was quiet."

"Back when it was just you and Athena?" Harry guessed. "Do...do you regret Draco coming back?"

She turned her head and shrugged. "I don't know," she finally replied. "I love him, Athena loves him, and he loves us. I just...Harry, sometimes I think it was easier when he wasn't here."

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"Look, I know I shouldn't tell you this because Hermione's my best friend and I'm trying to make things better with her, but you need to hear this," Harry said while he and Draco were alone. Hermione was upstairs with Athena looking at her new books. Looking around, Harry made sure that they wouldn't be heard and shared with Draco what Hermione had said during lunch.

Anger colored Draco's pale features. "She really feels that way?" he asked. Harry looked down, unwilling to answer. The blond scoffed. "Of course you'd convince her of that. Of course all of this is my fault. I thought you wanted to be her friend, Potter."

"I do," Harry replied. "I _am_ her friend. I had nothing to do with her saying that. It was a conclusion she drew on her own. You want to be mad at someone, be mad at her."

Grabbing the front of his shirt, Draco slammed Harry into the nearest wall. "Get out of my house," he said through clenched teeth. He pushed Harry toward the fireplace and let him go. Now alone, he took a deep breath to rein in his nerves before talking to his girlfriend. He stood in the hallway outside Athena's bedroom, listening to his daughter read. Hermione glanced up and smiled at him, but Draco wasn't able to return it. Frowning, Hermione stood and told Athena she would be right back. Once in the master bedroom, Hermione asked what was wrong. "Potter said you wished I'd never come back. You really feel that way?"

"I don't know," she whispered, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Did you say it?" he asked. Looking down, she nodded. "Why? Do you...do you blame me for what my father may have done to your parents? Back before we were together or cared about each other or had a kid together?"

She looked at him, tears shimmering in her eyes. "It's not like that," she insisted. "Please believe me, Draco. It's not like that. I'd never blame you for his actions. When I told Harry that...I don't know. Things were different before you came back. Yes, I was raising Athena alone, but I didn't have to worry about your parents. I didn't have friends who hated me for letting you into my life. I got to live with the blissful ignorance that my parents had gone unharmed during the war. But I love you, Draco, and I want you here with us. I'm sorry."

He maintained his distance, but nodded to accept her apology. "Maybe we moved too fast," he reasoned. "I showed up and threw everything out of whack. Maybe it _was_ better when I wasn't here."

But Hermione disagreed, shaking her head. "It's better with you here, sweetheart," she said. "Athena wanted to know what her father was like, and she ended up with a pretty great one. Neither one of us wants you to leave. I was venting and tired and stressed when I said that to Harry. I didn't mean to say it the way it came out."

Standing, she crossed the room and stopped in front of him. Slowly, tentatively, she wrapped her arms around his middle. "There are times you mean it," he murmured, returning her embrace. "That time you asked me to do laundry and I turned everything pink? Or when I let Teeny stay up late to figure out what was fun about football?"

Laughing, her rested her forehead against his chest. "Even then I was happy to have you here," she replied. "Your daughter didn't appreciate the pink clothing, but I'm sure she'll get over it in time. Or she'll have something to tell her therapist when she's older."

"Think she'll have time for it with all the Death Eaters in the family?" he asked ruefully. "Plus, there will be the impossible standards for academic achievement established by her mother."

Pulling back, she shot him a wry smile. "You know, I take it back. I meant every word I said to Harry," she remarked, then turned to leave.

Draco reached out for her, pulling her back into his arms. "I love you," he whispered, pressing his lips to hers. "I'm sorry my father is a nut job. I'm sorry if he hurt your parents. Just...just never doubt how much I love you, how much I want to be with you. And if you do, tell me. Fun as it was to toss Potter out, something like that shouldn't come from him."

Nodding, she agreed. She had meant every word she said to Draco, and most of what was said to Harry. She just couldn't tell him that.


	19. Chapter 19

Today is my last day in my 20s. Guys, I'm not cool with this. Pinterest and Michael Buble can't even cheer me up right now.

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Chapter 19

Draco and Athena sat in a small cafe having breakfast together while Hermione went to her shop. They discussed her school and what she wanted for Christmas before Athena got down to business. "Why's Mummy upset?" she inquired, pushing away her half eaten plate of pancakes.

Sighing, Draco copied her actions and rested his arms on the table. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I trust you, sweetheart," he began. "This has to stay between us. Your grandfather did some really bad things, and we think he may have done something bad to Mummy's parents."

"But why is she upset with you?" Athena pushed. "Is it because of what Grandpa did? That doesn't seem fair."

Blond brows furrowed. "She's not," he assured her. "And this isn't something I want you to worry about. Your mum and I are fine. I'm not going anywhere, if that's what you're worried about."

"Well, I wasn't," she mumbled. "What if Mummy makes you go because of Grandpa? If he hurts people, she's not gonna want him around. What if she doesn't want you around because of that too?"

He reached out his hand to her, silently requesting that she take it. When she did, he gave it a gentle squeeze. "That's not going to happen," he promised. "We're a family, and we're going to stay a family. No matter what my father has done, I've made you a promise that I will never break."

Looking at their joined hands, Athena nodded and hoped he was right. With her free hand, she finished her pancakes, Draco paid the bill, and they left for the bookshop. Hermione smiled when she saw them, beckoning them to join her at the front counter. "How was breakfast?" she asked, leaning over it to greet her boyfriend, then her daughter with a kiss. "Did Daddy let you have a milkshake again?"

"Pancakes," Draco informed her, jutting out his chin defiantly, "which chocolate chips."

"I didn't eat it all though," Athena added, rounding the counter to hug her mother. Hidden by the counter, Draco couldn't see her beckon Hermione to bend down to her height. Curious, Hermione did as requested. "Don't make Daddy leave."

Her expression a mix of a frown and a scowl, Hermione stood back up. "What did you tell her?" she inquired.

"What did she tell you?" Draco wondered.

Picking up Athena, Hermione walked to the back office, checking only once to make sure Draco followed. "Why does she think you're leaving?" Hermione asked once the door was closed.

"She thinks you're kicking me out," Draco replied.

"She's standing right here," Athena interjected.

Hermione sighed. "Why would think that?" she wondered.

Athena looked her mother in the eye as she responded. "Because you're mad that Grandpa might have hurt your parents, and you're taking it out on Daddy. You act like I don't know what's going on, but I do. I've watched you, and you seem...cold to him."

Hermione let out a sad, tired breath. "You're right," she confessed. "I'm scared that your grandfather might have hurt my parents. It wasn't my intention to take it out on your dad, and I'm sorry that I did. Draco, I'm so sorry."

He kissed her temple, letting her know it was fine. "There's no right or wrong way to handle finding out something like this," he assured her. "The real question is do I still have a roof over my head?"

Laughing, Hermione nodded. "I can't imagine losing you again," she murmured.

"But what's gonna happen if Grandpa really did it?" Athena asked.

Draco shrugged. "He'll probably go back to prison," was his simple reply. "It won't change what he's done, but at least he'll be punished for it. He deserves worse, if you ask me."

"I mean with you two," Athena clarified. "Will we still be a family?"

Bending down, Hermione beckoned her little girl to her. "We will always be a family, sweetheart," she promised. "I'm going to try extra hard to be kinder to Daddy. And I don't ever want you to feel like you can't talk to us about this. If something's bothering you, I know you're not too shy to tell us."

The youngest Malfoy grinned. "Well, that is true," she agreed. She waited half a beat before asking her next question. "So, since I'm not being shy, am I allowed to ask when you're going to marry Daddy?"

"What makes you think I'd tell you that?" Draco inquired, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. "And who's to say we will get married? Your mum isn't one for fancy jewelry and big parties, after all."

Athena let out an impatient sigh. "You have to," she insisted. Her father continued to needle her until she finally said, "I want to be a Malfoy."

Her parents exchanged a silent look, then shrugged. "We could do that," Hermione told her. "It should have been your last name from the start."

"Why wasn't it?" Athena interrupted, looking accusatorily at her mother.

"Because I wasn't here," Draco answered. "It was easier to not have my name."

Athena nodded, accepting his reason. "But Mummy should be one too," she pushed.

"I should get back to work," Hermione said uneasily. "Maybe we can talk about this at home later."

Father and daughter were left alone to exchange a curious, confused glance. "Don't ask me," Draco told her, holding out his hand to her. "Women like your mother will always confuse me. You're five and you confuse me."

"There's no hope for you, Daddy," Athena agreed as they left the bookshop. "Maybe it's better you don't get us. Keeps you on your toes. But really, Dad, are you gonna marry Mummy?"

Draco shrugged as they walked. "I don't know that that's what she wants," he replied. "We haven't really talked about getting married. Judging by her quick, uncomfortable exit, I'd say she doesn't want to marry me."

Sighing, she considered what could happen if they didn't marry. Both parents had promised that they were a family and would stay a family. "What if you meet someone else?" she wondered. "Or if Mummy does? What happens then?"

He pulled her into an empty alley and Apparated home. "I don't think that's something you have to worry about," he said. "We love each other. A ring and a certificate won't change that. Since your mum, I haven't found anyone who compares to her. I promise you, when the time is right and your mother says yes, we'll get married."

"And if she says no?" the little girl asked worriedly.

"Then I'll keep on asking until she says yes."


	20. Chapter 20

All I asked for was a book for my birthday, and I got it! Then I got in trouble for trying to read it in the middle of family time. Apparently, 30 is not the age when you can get away with that kind of thing. Maybe it's 40?

* * *

Chapter 20

Ron had called early with news that Lucius had made a full confession. Draco had answered the phone while Hermione slept, his face hardening with the news. He responded with a curt thank you and hung up. Entering the master bedroom, he climbed into bed beside his girlfriend. They rarely shared a bed, but he wondered if this might be his final opportunity to do so.

His arms wound around her, waking up Hermione. Sighing, she rolled over to face him and smiled. "Morning," she whispered. "Teeny still asleep?"

Nodding, he pressed his lips to hers despite her protests about morning breath. "I love you," he told her, pouring all his emotion into those three little words. "I just...just never forget how much I love you."

Pulling away, she sat up. "You're scaring me," she said.

"My father's been taken into custody," he explained. "Ron was able to link him to a few other crimes including the torture of your parents. He'll be tried before the Wizengamot this weekend and sentenced to Azkaban. Ron thought you should hear it from me. I'm so sorry, love."

Nodding, Hermione got out of bed and began to get dressed. "I was thinking waffles for breakfast. Is that okay?" she asked.

"I'd rather talk about the case than breakfast," Draco remarked, baffled by her ability to seemingly ignore the matter at hand. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it, and that's fine. I just need to know that you're alright."

Scoffing, she turned away from the closet to face him. "Am I alright?" she asked herself. "Your father tortured my parents and made my memory charm irreversible. They have no idea that they have a daughter or a granddaughter. They have no idea who they really are. And they never will. All these years I've blamed myself for that, but now I know the truth. On the one hand, it's nice knowing it isn't entirely my fault. On the other, I've completely lost the only family I had, thanks to your father."

"How do you feel about me?" he asked, wincing as the question left his mouth.

The anger she had felt melted away. "I love you," she replied honestly. Sitting on the side of the bed, she placed her hand over his heart. "I know I haven't been very loving lately, but I really do love you. When Ron first told us, a part of me really did wish you hadn't come back. Blissful ignorance and all that nonsense. I don't think I could have gotten through this without you though."

Tugging on her hand, he coaxed her to lie down beside him. "A lot's happened since I came back, and there have been some things that weren't so great," he agreed. "I think some good's come out of it too though. Happy as I am that you and Teeny forgave me, I am sorry for the chaos it's caused. Do you think if we just stayed in this bed for the rest of our lives, we could avoid all the trouble?"

Laughing, she readily agreed to his plan. "We do, however, have a five year old to consider," she added.

Acknowledging that she was right, Draco called for Athena. Rubbing her eyes, the sleepy, tousle-haired child entered the room. "Feel like a cuddle?" he asked her. She yawned and joined them in bed. "Did my big mouth wake you?"

"Yes," the little girl grumbled, closing her eyes. "I like this though."

"Good. I don't have to feel bad about waking you up then," Draco teased, holding her closer. She mumbled that he should, but soon fell asleep.

Hermione couldn't keep a grin from forming on her lips. "I like this too," she murmured, kissing Draco's stubbled chin. "I have zero objections to staying like this forever."

As much as he wanted to agree, reality began to seep in. "You know we can't," he replied sadly. "I'm going to Azkaban today to talk to Lucius. Maybe we'll get some answers out of him before his sentencing. Would you want to come with me?"

Hermione shook her head. "I'd hate to wind up in a cell of my own for hexing him," she said sourly. "You know, I was tucking her in last night, and she asked me why Grandpa would hurt anyone. All I could think to tell her was that sometimes some people do bad things. Then she told me she doesn't want to see him anymore."

"She still thinks we're going to break up because of this," Draco added.

"Yeah, that's probably my fault," Hermione admitted sheepishly. "Sometimes I forget how perceptive she is, or how bad an actress I am."

He laughed softly. "I'd probably react the same way you did if our roles were reversed," he told her, hoping to ease her guilty mind. "Though I don't know how your folks could take on mine. Dentistry tools maybe. My father fears needles more than anything."

"Are you suggesting you wish it had been your parents who were tortured?" she wondered.

Sighing, Draco eased his arm from beneath Athena and sat up. "There are times," he mumbled, getting out of bed. "I'll let you know how it goes."

Then he left the bedroom.

An hour later he sat on the other side of a partition that separated him from his father. "We really must stop meeting like this, Father," Draco remarked. "What is this, the third or fourth time?" Lucius contritely avoided making eye contact with his son, and remained silent. "My daughter's been asking about you. I imagine I must have asked Mum the same questions when I was her age. My favorite was 'why does Grandpa hate muggles?' What would you like me to tell her?"

"It wasn't a choice," Lucius finally said. "That's no excuse, I realize. We were in the midst of a war, and we all did things we didn't want to do, Draco. My choice was to torture Miss Granger's parents or watch my family die. I didn't know her, I didn't know her parents except that they were muggles, and I couldn't watch you and your mother suffer any more than you already had because of me. I hadn't known beforehand that their memories had been altered, and when I did, I tried to stop the Death Eaters from continuing to torture them. Rodolphus and Rabastan and the others had different ideas though."

Draco nodded, taking in his father's explanation. Being the odd man out, the one who wanted to stop, had never worked before for anyone in Voldemort's service. He couldn't take on a host of Death Eaters alone, and his own death would never have stopped them from continuing their task. It was a no-win situation, and one he could relate to.

Getting to his feet, he slipped on his coat and eyed his father. "I'll see what I can do," he said, making no promises. Then he left to return home.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It was Hermione's turn to visit Lucius. His sentencing trial was scheduled for the following morning, and after hearing his side of the story from Draco, she needed to hear it for herself from his father. "I understand why you did what you did," she stated as soon as he sat down. "Do you really regret it? Draco mentioned that you seemed uncharacteristically remorseful."

"I do," he replied. "When Draco told us about you and Athena...it was the first time I'd thought of that night in years. That probably wasn't what you wanted to hear, but I tried to put the war and my activities behind me when it was over. It was easier to do when you weren't family."

"I'm still not family," she interjected.

Lucius smiled softly. "Tell that to my son," he retorted. "I do believe you're the only family that matters to him now. He's changed, and it's all because of you. He's a better man than I've ever been."

"We're not here to discuss that though," Hermione said, crossing her arms. "I needed to know that what Draco told me was true. I believe you, Mr. Malfoy."

He looked hopeful as he whispered his gratitude. "That means the world to me, Miss Granger," he added. "I am truly sorry for the part I played in harming your parents. I expect no forgiveness from you, but I hope you know how sorry I am."

Nodding, Hermione stood to leave. "I appreciate that, Mr. Malfoy," she replied. "We'll see you soon."

The next morning, Draco and Hermione sat in the trial hall with Narcissa. Usually prim, proper, and reserved, Narcissa's leg bounced as she prattled on to fill the silence and time. "Athena's asked if I'd like to share her room," she told the couple. "I think she's worried about my living alone once...she thinks I'll be too lonely in that big house. She's such a sweet, thoughtful girl. I imagine she gets that from you, Hermione."

"And yet I got yelled at for taking a piece of her Halloween candy," Draco groused. "You, though, she's willing to let sleep in her room. Clearly, she likes everyone better than me."

"Oh, honey, get used to that," Hermione teased, patting his thigh before returning her attention to his mother. "Has our daughter made any other plans we should know about?"

"Perhaps she's found a new house for us all? Planned a wedding for us? For herself?" Draco suggested.

Narcissa glanced around the room as the Wizengamot slowly filtered in. "No, just that," she assured them. "You don't have to worry. I have no intention of encroaching on your life together."

Hermione reached for her hand, holding it tightly as Lucius was led in. "I have a good feeling about this," she whispered, offering an encouraging smile. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic, caught her eye and offered an imperceptible smile before he began the proceedings. Draco attempted to ask what she meant, but Hermione shushed him and watched the court.

The facts of the case were laid out in a cold, clinical manner. Hermione's eyes were trained on Lucius, his head bowed, as Kingsley spoke. After the charges were read, the Wizengamot stood to leave and deliberate. "Now, before we continue," Kingsley said, asking them to retake their seats, "a deal, of sorts, has already been arranged. Ms. Granger has asked that the court show leniency to the accused in the case of her parent's attack. I've taken her request into account in determining Mr. Malfoy's sentence.

"Lucius Malfoy, please stand," he continued. Lucius did as he was instructed. "I sentence you to six years probation and three hundred hours of community service. Ms. Granger has already offered to help you with those hours, assisting in her bookshop. If you cannot agree or accept these terms, your six years and three hundred hours will be spent in Azkaban. Do you accept, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I do," Lucius replied, sounding relieved.

The Minister of Magic nodded and smiled, then waved to wand to undo the shackles on Lucius's wrists. "You're free to go, Mr. Malfoy," he said. "Don't make Ms. Granger regret this."

Turning back to look at his family, Lucius swore that he wouldn't. As the Wizengamot filed out of the courtroom, Narcissa, Draco, and Hermione left their seats to greet him. Bypassing his wife and son, he enveloped Hermione and whispered his gratitude in her ear. "Why though?" he wondered.

"I told you - I believe you," she replied. "Don't let me down, Mr. Malfoy."

He smiled gratefully. "I won't."

"You're really going to let him help in the store?" Draco asked, wrapping his arm around her waist. His parents embraced, and Draco was quick to turn them away from it. "I can't imagine my father stocking shelves and checking out customers."

Hermione shrugged. "I was thinking something more along the lines of childcare," she told him. "He good with Athena, and maybe he can make things right with her if they're around one another. Or this whole thing blows up in my face like Neville in Potions class."

Stifling a laugh, Draco assured her it would work out. "She likes to see the good in people, like her mother," he said. "It'll work out."

"Perhaps you'd like to join us," Hermione offered, turning to face the Malfoys. "George and Angelina Weasley are watching Athena today. There's a chance you'll be the only people who can pry her away from their daughter."

Narcissa readily agreed, but Lucius seemed more cautious. "You're sure?" he asked. "I'm not sure she wants to see me."

"I raised my daughter to believe in giving second chances to those who deserve them," Hermione informed him. "Athena loves you, Mr. Malfoy. I believe that in time she'll forgive you."

Nodding, he followed quietly as they left the Ministry and strolled through Diagon Alley until they reached George's shop. Hermione led them to the back office, then up the stairs to the flat above. She let them in and called out to George to announce their arrival. Athena came running with her uncle on her heels. Blue eyes widened at the sight of Draco's parents. "Hermione, Draco," he said courteously. "Could we talk for a minute? Teeny, I believe there are some toys that need cleaning up."

The couple followed George to the master bedroom and waited as he warded it. "I should have let you know they were coming," Hermione said apologetically. "The sentencing just ended, and I thought it might be nice to surprise Teeny. I'm really sorry, George."

Despite a scowl, he shrugged. "So, he's free?" he asked. "The two of you okay with that?"

"It takes some getting used to," Draco replied diplomatically. "If Hermione can forgive him, he's welcome in our lives. I'm not encouraging their constant presence, but a visit once in awhile won't kill me."

George nodded and returned his attention to Hermione. "You really trust him?" he asked.

She smiled, amused by the big brother act George often put on for her. "I believe him about this," she said. George reluctantly accepted her response. "Did Athena say anything about what's been going on?"

"She asked if I thought Lucius deserved your forgiveness," he said. "I told her I don't think he does. I'm not...I'm not going to pull what Harry and Ron did, forcing my opinions on you. Just be careful, the both of you. I've lost enough family to last me a lifetime. I don't want to lose the three of you too."

"You won't," Draco promised.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"My dear, sweet, favorite daughter," Draco said, lying down beside Athena after he tucked her into bed, "if I recall correctly, Christmas is coming. I haven't seen you write a letter to Santa yet though."

Starting at her stuffed dragon, she shrugged. "I don't really want anything," she replied. "I asked for a dad last year, but I never sent Santa the letter. Maybe if you just wish for it, it comes true. This year, there's nothing I really need. I've always had Mummy, and now I have you."

It brought a smile to his face to know his little girl wanted only her family. "So, um, your mum and I were discussing holiday plans, and my parents would like the three of us to come to dinner," he told her. "Um, I know you're not a fan of your grandpa right now, but I'm hoping you'll come with us."

"I have a choice?" she asked dubiously, making Draco laugh. "Mummy's really okay with what happened? She's not just saying it because he's your dad?"

He chuckled softly. "You're too smart, Teeny," he murmured. "There are things about war that you're too young to know. I'll tell you that no matter which side you're on, bad things happen. Both sides do things they regret. There was a time when I wouldn't have believed your grandfather's apology. This time, I do though. He was...different during the war. It's like he was afraid. He kept close tabs on Grandma and me when he could. Tell this to no one, but I heard him crying one night. I guess he thought he was alone in the library, but I was there."

"Maybe it was the night he hurt Mummy's parents," Athena suggested.

Draco nodded. "Maybe," he murmured. "The point is we want you to decide for yourself how you feel about him. You've heard things, bad things, but those aren't things you need to worry about."

Sighing, she promised to keep an open mind. "I do still like Papa," she confessed. "He doesn't ask me about rubber ducks like Poppy does. And Gram doesn't pinch my cheeks like Nana. It's just...if he used to hurt people, what makes you think he won't hurt anyone in the future?"

"Honestly?" he asked. "I think it's because of you. When I went to see my parents to tell them about you, he seemed really mad. I didn't do what they expected, and he wasn't happy about that. Then he met you. I don't know how you do it or who you got it from, but you have this ability to make everyone fall in love with you. That's what he did."

"But didn't he love you?" she wondered.

"In his own way," he replied. "You don't have to make up your mind now. We'll talk about it another time. Get some sleep, sweetheart."

Leaving the bed, he turned off the lights and shut the door behind him. Tiredly, he made his way to the living room where Hermione sat before the fire with her ledger book. "That seemed to take a while," she commented, closing the book. "Everything okay?"

He took a seat on the floor beside her and nodded. "We were talking about Christmas presents," he informed her. "Seems we're off the hook as she's already got everything she wants. You're sure she's mine, right?"

Chuckling, Hermione settled between his legs and leaned against his chest. "Five years' separation worked wonders on her attitude," she quipped. "You know what she wants, don't you?"

Brow furrowed, he shook his head. "She said she was happy with what she has," he replied, confused by her question.

Looking up at him, she rolled her eyes. "She wants us to get married."

Gray eyes widened. "Is that what you want?" Draco wondered.

Sighing, Hermione sat up and turned to face him. "I don't know," she confessed. "It's not that I don't love you and want to be with you, it's just...it's like you said - a piece of paper isn't important to me."

"What about your last name?" he asked. "Teen's made it clear she wants to be a Malfoy, but only if you're one too. Is that enough of a reason to get married?"

Shaking her head, she said it wasn't. "I like the idea of Athena being a Malfoy, " she amended. "Maybe I want to keep my name though. It's not something I've given a lot of thought, to be honest. Marriage isn't something I've really thought about. I'm happy with things as they are."

"Okay," he murmured, a wry grin on his lips. "We'll get her a new bookcase for Christmas then."

"You can't guilt me into marrying you," she informed him, opening the ledger once again.

He turned her to lean against him once more. "I'd never dream of it," he murmured, kissing her neck. "Being with you is all I care about. We've got a good life, and marriage won't change that for better or worse. I'm not going anywhere, Hermione."

Hermione smiled and assured him she knew. "I've known that for awhile now," she told him. "Honestly, that's why I'm not worried about getting married. We're already a family, the three of us. I'll make you a deal though - if you ask me again by next Christmas, I'll maybe say yes."

He held out his hand to her, and they shook on it.

A week later, the family of three stood outside Malfoy Manor, waiting to be invited in for Christmas dinner. "We really have to go in there?" Hermione asked, a nervous lilt to her voice.

Draco nodded. "We really have to have dinner with my parents?" he asked with a small groan.

Athena stood between and rolled her eyes. Dropping her father's hand, she knocked on the front door. "Let's all be adults," she advised. "Besides Papa and Gram aren't going to do anything bad. You're going to give yourselves wrinkles with all that worry."

"I don't like her anymore," Draco said, looking Hermione in the eye.

"Yeah, we should leave her here and run," Hermione replied.

"So much for being adults," Athena muttered as the door opened. Letting go of her parents' hands, she smiled as Lucius picked her up. "Papa, tell them everything's going to be fine. Mum's hand was getting sweaty, and Dad's been a grump since we left the house. And yet they're the ones who decided we had to come over tonight."

Lucius offered the pair a warm smile and invited them inside. Setting his granddaughter down, he dared her to find Narcissa and the freshest batch of cookies. "I understand," he said when he was alone with Draco and Hermione. "Nothing can hurt you here though. Not anymore. You're safe here now."

She smiled to offer her thanks, then followed the Malfoy men to the kitchen to greet Narcissa. Athena sat on the counter with a plate of cookies in one hand, offering a sheepish grin when she spotted her parents. "I've only had one," she said defensively.

Narcissa laughed softly as she hugged Draco then Hermione. "It's my job as grandma to spoil her," she stated. "Don't take that away from me."

"I'm more concerned by the disparity," Draco remarked, taking a cookie from the plate. "I was never allowed chocolate chip cookie appetizers when I was her age."

"Stop pouting, it's unattractive," Hermione replied, grabbing a cookie for herself. Arms crossed, Draco eyed her defiantly. "Don't give me that look. You know I only keep you around as eye candy."

The facade of indignance crumbled as Draco laughed. "So, when's dinner?" he asked his mother. "Perhaps if mouths are full, I won't get abused as much." Narcissa informed the group that it would be ready in half an hour. Nodding, he then asked if they could speak privately. Together, mother and son left the kitchen for a quiet place to talk. "I want to propose to Hermione. I haven't decided when yet exactly, but I want to be ready when the time is right."

"Is that really what Hermione wants though?" she wondered, pale blonde brows creasing.

He looked uneasy as he responded. "We've talked about it, and we've decided it's not necessary that we marry. She's only just begun to understand that I'm not asking out of a sense of duty or because I believe we need to be married for Teeny's sake. I love her, Mum. She's who I want to be with for the rest of my life."

"Perhaps you should leave the proposal to her then," Narcissa wisely advised before returning to the rest of the family.


	23. Chapter 23

I didn't have time to proof the chapter, so just go with it. The story is almost over, or it will be once I write the Epilogue.

* * *

Chapter 23

"What are you thoughts on eloping?" Hermione asked the night before Christmas as she and Draco wrapped the last few presents to put beneath the tree.

He admitted he hadn't given it much thought. "I thought we were putting a moratorium on the marriage subject," he replied. "What prompted you to ask?"

Setting aside her task, she sat down on the bed. "Remember about a month ago when Teeny stayed with George and Angie, and you and I...partook in a night of old but familiar activities?" she asked, feeling her face warm.

"The night we shagged, I remember," he said calmly, which seemed to add to her discomfort.

"Right, yeah," she mumbled. "I, um, I'm late, Draco."

Blond brows rose in surprise. "We're having a baby?" he asked excitedly. Looking up, she nodded. "Why aren't you more excited about this? You're not worried that I'll leave, right?"

Holding out her hand to him, she smiled as he accepted it and sat down beside her. "That's not it at all," she assured him. "I just...we've never talked about this. I mean, ever. Athena was a surprise, this one's a surprise. We've never discussed having children, and now we'll have two."

"Do you not want it?" Draco wondered. "If that is the case, I'll support you no matter what. I know how much you hate not having a plan or being in control, but it's not always possible. We've both said we want Athena to have a sibling."

Hermione nodded, agreeing that she wanted that as well. "You're okay with this?" she asked, needing to be sure. Smiling, he told her he was. "So, should we get married?"

"Not if you only want to do it because we're having a baby," he stated. "Five years ago, it didn't matter that we weren't married. And yes, I handled that whole situation incorrectly. That's not going to happen now though. It's you and me, Granger, forever."

"Plus our daughter and this one," Hermione added, placing a hand on her stomach. "Maybe we should include her in this. I know it's what she wants, but it wouldn't be the first time she's changed her mind on something. We should talk to her."

Draco nodded in agreement, and they decided to do it after presents the next morning. They finished their task and retired to bed. At her request, Draco spent the night in her room, but neither found it easy to fall asleep. He was sure it had only just claimed him when the bedroom door opened and Athena joined them.

"Wake up, Daddy," she murmured, kissing his cheek. "Santa came and that means it's time to open presents."

Eyes still closed, he reached for her and pulled her close. "Five more minutes, daughter," he mumbled sleepily. They settled in together. "You know what I want for Christmas?" he asked her. "I want you to never get too old or too big to cuddle with your mum and dad."

She sighed contently. "Deal."

They laid together in silence until Hermione began to stir. Rolling over, she groaned as she stretched out her stiff back. "I'm starving," she announced, moving closer to Draco. "Could we eat first?"

Draco laughed. "I'm in for nine months of this," he joked before realizing what he'd said. Hermione's eyes opened widely as Athena asked what he meant. Groaning, he pulled himself into a seated position as Hermione did the same, and Athena moved back to stare at her parents. "Um, we're...uh...in a few months you'll-"

"I'm pregnant, sweetheart," Hermione said, interrupting his hemming, hawing, and stuttering. "I just found out yesterday. We were going to tell you a bit later, but the cat's out of the bag now. So, any thoughts?"

Athena considered it for a moment, then asked, "Can I have a sister?" Laughing, Hermione shrugged, then told her she couldn't be sure the baby would be a girl. She next turned her attention to her father. "You're not gonna leave again, are you?"

"No, I'm not," he promised.

Lips pursed, she rebuked his attempt to reach out to her. "What makes this baby different than me?" she wondered. "Why didn't you want to stay after I was born?"

"Because I was young and dumb and scared," he said honestly. "It wasn't you, Athena. At least, not you directly. I wasn't ready to be a father to anyone at that point. When I finally came back, I fell in love with you, kid. I can't imagine not being your dad now. I just...I'm so sorry, sweetheart, for everything."

Athena nodded, then vacated the bed. "Could we open presents now?" she requested. Draco agreed, but Hermione asked him to give them a few minutes to speak privately. When he was gone, Athena climbed into bed beside her mother. "Am I in trouble?"

Smiling, Hermione promised she wasn't. "I'm sorry we told you like this," she began. "I hope we haven't ruined your Christmas. Also, I wanted to talk to you alone because I need your opinion on something."

"You didn't ruin it," Athena replied. "I'm excited, really. Are you gonna marry Daddy now?"

"Well, I asked him," her mother admitted hesitantly. "Um, I'm sort of not sure what we're going to do."

Taking a deep breath, Athena considered the situation for a brief moment before dispensing her advice. "I think if Daddy really loves us, he'd say yes," she stated. "He keeps saying he's not leaving, but he doesn't want to get married either. It doesn't seem right, Mummy."

"I don't think it's that he doesn't want to," Hermione replied. "People should get married for the right reasons."

"A baby isn't the right reason?" Athena countered.

Shrugging, Hermione responded. "We weren't married when we had you," she pointed out. "That might be a bad example. I just mean that having a baby isn't always the right reason to marry someone. Your dad and I love each other, and for some people that's enough."

"Do you just want to get married because of the new baby?" Athena asked pointedly.

"I want to marry him because I love him," Hermione told her.

Having heard what she needed to hear, Athena got out of bed and opened the bedroom door, calling out for her father. "Marry Mum," she instructed as Draco appeared. "Forget about going to Papa and Gram's and get married instead."

"Today?" Draco asked, looking lovingly at the mother of his children. "You sure, Teen? I mean, it's Christmas and there's a whole lot of gifts downstairs that require your attention."

The little girl rolled her eyes. "We all know this is the only thing I wanted for Christmas," she replied. "The other stuff can wait, unless you got me that kitten I wanted."

"We got you a sibling," Draco remarked. "Now you want a cat too?"

Athena shrugged, but didn't answer. "What do you say, Mum?" she asked, turning her attention to Hermione. "Do you take this man to be your awfully wedded husband?"

Both laughed as Hermione got out of bed. "I have a feeling there are going to be days I find this marriage awful," she commented. "I'd prefer your dad feed me first, and then we'll find a minister who'll marry us."

Draco sent their daughter down to the kitchen for breakfast, but prevented Hermione from following. "You really want this?" he asked.

Standing on the tips of her toes, she kissed him tenderly. "I love you," she murmured. "I love you and Athena and whoever this is. We're a family already. We're just confirming that to everyone else now."

"I don't care about anyone else but the four of us," he said. "We're making it official for us, no one else."


	24. Epilogue

Epilogue

"What do you think?" George asked, holding Athena up to the nursery window so she could see her newly born baby brother. "I know you wanted a sister, but that's not really something that can be helped."

She studied Oliver, who slept soundly despite the noise around him. "Was I that small?" she wondered.

George smiled, unable to take his eyes off his godson. "Where do you think Teeny came from?" he replied. "If I remember correctly, you were even smaller than Ollie. I remember thinking I could definitely break you."

"Were you trying to?" she asked. "Mummy's never gonna let you hold Ollie after I tell her that."

He tickled her, causing Athena to laugh loudly. It attracted angry looks from some of the people around, but neither uncle nor niece cared. "Don't go getting me in trouble with your mum," he insisted. "Favorite nieces don't tattle on favorite uncles."

Athena giggled as her father joined them. "I'd never tattle on Uncle Ron," she teased.

Shaking his head, George passed her off to her father. "I blame you, Malfoy," he said with as much seriousness as he could muster. "She used to be sweet and loved me, and then you brainwashed her or something. I don't pretend to understand what goes on in your house. I just miss my sweet, adorable little niece."

"Thanks for taking her the last couple days," Draco said, choosing to ignore the back and forth between the two. "Hermione tried to get me to go home last night to take care of Athena, but I just couldn't."

"Hear that, Teen? Your father doesn't love you," George joked.

"Believe me, I know," she commiserated.

"I'm telling your mother," Draco muttered, walking away from the nursery with his daughter securely in his arms. She was quick to protest, not wanting to get in trouble. "I'm secure enough in our relationship to know you don't really believe it. Your mum's book said there could be some feelings of jealousy though. So, be honest with me - are there?"

Brows furrowed, Athena shook her head. They'd discussed her impending sibling for eight months, and both parents had made her more than aware that she was still loved. "You worry too much, Daddy," she told him, tracing the crease in his forehead. "If I'm still your favorite daughter, you're still my favorite father."

Smiling, he kissed her cheek. "That's a deal," he agreed, entering Hermione's room. He placed Athena on the bed just before a healer wheeled in Oliver's cradle. "What do you think, Miss Malfoy?"

"Should we send him back?" Hermione added as a joke.

"I'm okay with him," Athena decided, lovingly looking at her new brother. "Besides, I don't think you're allowed to return people."

Her parents chuckled softly as Draco placed the newborn in his fiancee's arms. "I want you to remember that when he gets on your nerves," Hermione cautioned.

"He's mine," Athena said protectively. "We're keeping him."

Hermione and Draco exchanged a relieved smile. Athena had vacillated between wanting to be the best big sister in the world and wanting to remain an only child. When Narcissa held a baby shower, Athena complained that too big a deal was being made of a person not even born yet. They had worried that when the baby came, she would resent it and them. It had been hard enough to explain to her that they wouldn't rush into marriage. The nearer it got to Hermione's due date, the harder it was to convince their daughter to accept the fact that she would have to share her family with the new baby. Now that he was here though, Hermione and Draco revelled in their daughter's loving, protective nature.

The door opened, and Narcissa and Lucius entered. Approaching the bed with smiles on their faces, Narcissa asked to hold her new grandson. Hermione gently handed over the baby, and Athena followed her grandparents to the chairs they occupied near the hospital bed. "They named him Oliver," Athena explained, sitting on her grandfather's lap. "I'm calling him Ollie though. It works, don't you think? His middle name being Leo and all. It's like combining them."

"I think it's perfect," Lucius agreed. "I take it you like your new brother?"

The little girl nodded. "Why is everyone asking me that?" she wondered, affronted by the constant question.

"Well, for so long it was just you and your mum," Narcissa said. "Then your father came along, and you had their attention all to yourself. It can be hard to have to share that. My sisters weren't fond of having to compete for our parents' attention when we were young. Imagine being the youngest of three girls. Your parents and grandfather were only children, so they won't understand like you and I do."

Athena grinned, thrilled that her grandmother could commiserate. But her father frowned, chastising his mother for encouraging Athena to complain about Oliver. "He's a day old, let's not cause friction so soon," he said.

Chagrined, Narcissa changed the subject. "Has anyone else been by to meet him?" she inquired.

"Uncle Gigi was here," Athena told her.

Draco scowled. "Other than he and Ron, no one else has come," he added.

Oliver began to fuss and he was returned to Hermione. "I wasn't expecting anyone else," she confessed. Molly Weasley had only visited once after Athena told the family the news of Hermione's pregnancy. She had come to ask if they intended to marry now that they were having a second child. When Hermione said they had discussed it but made no plans to do so, Molly posited that Ron was a more suitable choice of husband and father. Athena had overheard, and refused to return to the Burrow.

"It's better, less crowded this way," Draco added, hoping he sounded less bitter than he felt. He'd never forgive the Weasley matriarch for her attempting to foist her son on his family, and, in the process, take them away from him. Hermione would never allow it, but it still hurt that the offer was continually made.

Clearing his throat, Lucius spoke up in an effort to lighten the mood. "You'll be going home tomorrow. We were hoping Athena might like to come home with us tonight," he offered. "She could stay tomorrow also if it helps."

Athena looked expectantly at her parents, hoping they would say yes. When they did, she squealed with excitement. "We'll let you rest, dear," Narcissa said, getting to her feet. She crossed over to the bed and kissed Hermione's forehead. "Thank you so much for sharing them with us."

Hermione smiled lovingly up at the older witch. "Thank you for wanting us to," she replied. Lucius approached next, offering a kiss and congratulations. With Athena in his arms, the Malfoys took their leave. "Who'd have thought they'd be the grandparents," she remarked.

Chuckling, Draco sat on the side of her bed. "Mum always wanted more kids," he told her. "Not a small army, mind you. Just one or two more. Apparently I wasn't enough to deter that dream. She wanted a daughter more than anything. Someone she could dress up and spoil with dolls and tea parties. Not that I'm worried she'd spoil Athena like that. She's just...she's just Mum's only chance of knowing what having a daughter is like. And they love each other. I certainly never would have expected her or my father to be so head of heels for Hermione Granger's offspring."

"Well, she's half yours," Hermione conceded. "Although, I maintain that the good half of her came from me."

Smiling, he refused to argue. "I can't help but wonder how I got so lucky," he mused, smoothing down the fine blond hair on his son's head. "Great girl, incredible daughter, and now this little guy. I feel like I don't deserve it."

"Stick around and we'll show you."

The End


End file.
